The journey took most of the day.
⸻ At first.
⸻ Everything seemed normal.
⸻ The road stretched through rolling fields.
⸻ Birds sang.
⸻ The weather was pleasant.
⸻ Then the road ended.
⸻ Not gradually.
⸻ It simply… ⸻ Stopped.
⸻ Everyone stared.
⸻ Thomas blinked.
⸻ “…That’s concerning.” ⸻ Ahead of them lay an empty clearing.
⸻ Grass.
⸻ Trees.
⸻ Wildflowers.
⸻ Nothing else.
⸻ No houses.
⸻ No fences.
⸻ No fields.
⸻ No village.
⸻ Silence settled over the group.
⸻ Lancelot slowly unfolded the map.
⸻ Then looked at the clearing.
⸻ Then at the map.
⸻ Then back at the clearing.
⸻ “…No.” ⸻ Arthur looked at him.
⸻ “What?” ⸻ “The village should be here.” ⸻ “It isn’t.” ⸻ “I can see that.” ⸻ Morgan slowly raised her hand.
⸻ “Did the village move?” ⸻ Everyone looked at her.
⸻ She lowered her hand.
⸻ “…Right.” ⸻ Investigation Arthur walked into the clearing.
⸻ The others followed.
⸻ Nothing.
⸻ Absolutely nothing.
⸻ It was as though the village had never existed.
⸻ Even the road disappeared beneath the grass.
⸻ No ruins.
⸻ No signs of battle.
⸻ No smoke.
⸻ No bodies.
⸻ Nothing.
⸻ Eidra knelt.
⸻ She touched the ground.
⸻ Her expression changed.
⸻ “That’s strange.” ⸻ Arthur immediately looked at her.
⸻ “What?” ⸻ She frowned.
⸻ “There should be traces.” ⸻ “What kind of traces?” ⸻ “People leave marks on places.” ⸻ She looked around.
⸻ “Memories.” ⸻ “Footprints.” ⸻ “Remnants.” ⸻ “There should be something.” ⸻ But there wasn’t.
⸻ Even Leona was quiet.
⸻ And that worried Arthur.
⸻ The Flower Lancelot walked slowly through the clearing.
⸻ His expression remained calm.
⸻ Yet something in his eyes had changed.
⸻ He eventually stopped.
⸻ Then crouched.
⸻ Arthur approached.
⸻ “What is it?” ⸻ Lancelot gently picked something from the grass.
⸻ A flower.
⸻ Small.
⸻ White.
⸻ He stared at it.
⸻ Then sighed.
⸻ “My mother liked these.” ⸻ Silence.
⸻ “They don’t grow here.” ⸻ Everyone looked around.
⸻ The clearing was covered in them.
⸻ Everywhere.
⸻ Morgan frowned.
⸻ “That’s impossible.” ⸻ Lancelot stood.
⸻ Slowly.
⸻ Very slowly.
⸻ Then looked across the empty field.
⸻ There had been people here.
⸻ Families.
⸻ Children.
⸻ Farmers.
⸻ They were gone.
⸻ And somehow— that frightened him more than any battlefield ever had.
⸻ The Ruins Nearby As the afternoon continued.
⸻ Evangelos eventually spoke.
⸻ “There are ruins nearby.” ⸻ Everyone looked at him.
⸻ “You know this?” ⸻ “I read the reports.” ⸻ Silence.
⸻ “Fair.” Arthur said.
⸻ Lancelot folded the map.
⸻ “How far?” ⸻ “An hour.” ⸻ Silence.
⸻ Then Arthur smiled.
⸻ “Let’s go.” ⸻ Lancelot blinked.
⸻ “You say that with entirely too much enthusiasm.” ⸻ Arthur looked confused.
⸻ “Shouldn’t we investigate?” ⸻ “We absolutely should.” ⸻ “You sound unhappy about it.” ⸻ “Because it involves ancient ruins.” ⸻ Morgan looked offended.
⸻ “I still don’t understand why that’s bad.” ⸻ Nobody had the energy to explain.
⸻ The Forgotten Watchtower The ruins turned out to be a watchtower.
⸻ Or what remained of one.
⸻ Most of it had collapsed.
⸻ Vines covered the stone.
⸻ Trees had begun growing through the walls.
⸻ Yet enough remained to reveal its age.
⸻ Ancient.
⸻ Very ancient.
⸻ Morgan looked like she had achieved enlightenment.
⸻ “It’s beautiful.” ⸻ “It is broken.” Jakel replied.
⸻ “Beautifully broken.” ⸻ “No.” ⸻ Arthur walked toward the entrance.
⸻ Then stopped.
⸻ An inscription.
⸻ Faded.
⸻ Damaged.
⸻ Barely readable.
⸻ He brushed away moss.
⸻ Letters emerged.
⸻ Most were missing.
⸻ Only fragments remained.
⸻ “…the king…” ⸻ “…dream…” ⸻ “…people…” ⸻ “…Camelot…” ⸻ Silence.
⸻ Arthur stared.
⸻ Something stirred inside him.
⸻ A strange feeling.
⸻ Warm.
⸻ Familiar.
⸻ As though he had returned somewhere.
⸻ Somewhere he had never been.
⸻ Inside Aethelion.
⸻ Leona became very still.
⸻ Arthur noticed immediately.
⸻ “Leona?” ⸻ Silence.
⸻ “Leona.” ⸻ A pause.
⸻ “…Keep reading.” ⸻ Her voice sounded strange.
⸻ Almost nostalgic.
⸻ The Broken Mural Inside the tower.
⸻ Another discovery awaited them.
⸻ A mural.
⸻ Ancient.
⸻ Cracked.
⸻ Most of it had been destroyed.
⸻ Yet part remained.
⸻ A man holding a sword.
⸻ Beside him— a smaller figure.
⸻ A young girl.
⸻ Most details were gone.
⸻ Only the outline remained.
⸻ Lancelot stared.
⸻ “I remember this.” ⸻ Everyone looked at him.
⸻ “I came here when I was younger.” ⸻ He approached the mural.
⸻ “My father brought me.” ⸻ He gently touched the damaged stone.
⸻ “He told me these ruins belonged to a forgotten kingdom.” ⸻ Silence.
⸻ “He said there was once a king here.” ⸻ Another pause.
⸻ “A king who dreamed of ending conflict.” ⸻ Arthur stared at the mural.
⸻ Unable to look away.
⸻ And for reasons he couldn’t explain— he smiled.
⸻ Sunset By evening.
⸻ The investigation had yielded almost nothing.
⸻ A vanished village.
⸻ Flowers that shouldn’t exist.
⸻ Ancient ruins.
⸻ And unanswered questions.
⸻ The group prepared camp.
⸻ A fire crackled softly.
⸻ Lancelot sat quietly.
⸻ Watching the flames.
⸻ Arthur eventually sat beside him.
⸻ Neither spoke for a while.
⸻ Then: ⸻ “You’re worried.” ⸻ Lancelot looked amused.
⸻ “That obvious?” ⸻ “Very.” ⸻ Silence.
⸻ The duke looked toward the darkness.
⸻ “There were people there.” ⸻ Arthur nodded.
⸻ “I know.” ⸻ Another pause.
⸻ “I couldn’t protect them.” ⸻ Silence.
⸻ Arthur thought about it.
⸻ Then answered.
⸻ “You haven’t failed yet.” ⸻ Lancelot blinked.
⸻ “What?” ⸻ Arthur looked toward the fire.
⸻ “We don’t know what happened.” ⸻ “We haven’t found answers.” ⸻ “We haven’t saved anyone.” ⸻ He looked at Lancelot.
⸻ “So don’t give up yet.” ⸻ Silence.
⸻ The words were simple.
⸻ Almost childish.
⸻ Yet somehow— they eased something inside him.
⸻ Lancelot looked at Arthur.
⸻ Really looked at him.
⸻ Then smiled.
⸻ A small one.
⸻ “…You’re strange.” ⸻ Arthur grinned.
⸻ “I’ve heard that.” ⸻ Around the campfire.
⸻ Thomas laughed.
⸻ Morgan smiled.
⸻ Jakel sighed.
⸻ Eidra looked fondly at the scene.
⸻ Even Evangelos closed his book.
⸻ And somewhere in the darkness beyond the ruins— something watched them.
⸻ Crimson eyes slowly opened.
⸻ Then disappeared.
End of Chapter 20