The night was quiet in the neighboring kingdom.
Kil Ful was sitting outside, looking at the sky when Birol walked toward him. Maddy and Rony were also nearby.
Birol stopped in front of them.
"Kil Ful, I have a mission for you," Birol said.
Kil Ful looked at him. "What kind of mission?"
"There is an abandoned village a few hours from here," Birol replied. "A few Knights were sent there to investigate something."
Rony frowned. "What happened to them?"
"They never returned."
Maddy became serious. "How many Knights?"
"Four," Birol said. "All of them were experienced."
Kil Ful stood up.
"So you want us to find out what happened to them?"
Birol nodded.
"Yes. Your mission is to investigate the village and find out why those Knights disappeared. Do not take unnecessary risks."
Kil Ful looked at Maddy and Rony.
"Then we will go together."
Maddy smiled. "Of course."
Rony picked up his huge hammer. "I’m ready."
Birol looked at all three of them.
"Leave tomorrow morning. And remember, your main objective is investigation. Do not fight unless you have to."
Kil Ful nodded.
"We understand."
The next morning, Kil Ful, Maddy, and Rony left the kingdom.
They walked along a long road surrounded by forests. The journey was peaceful at first, but the farther they went, the quieter the surroundings became.
After several hours, Maddy noticed something strange.
"Kil Ful... have you noticed it?"
"Yeah," Kil Ful replied.
Rony looked around. "What?"
"There are no animals," Maddy said.
Rony became silent.
They continued walking.
After some time, they finally saw the village in the distance.
It was completely abandoned.
The houses were old and damaged. Some doors were hanging open, and the streets were covered with dust.
Kil Ful stopped at the entrance.
"This is the village."
Maddy looked around carefully.
"It feels strange."
Rony tightened his grip on his hammer.
"Let’s find out what happened to those Knights."
The three entered the village.
There was no sound.
Not even the wind.
Kil Ful slowly looked at the empty houses.
Then he noticed something on the ground.
Footprints.
Fresh footprints.
Kil Ful’s expression changed.
"Maddy. Rony."
They immediately looked at him.
Kil Ful pointed toward the ground.
"Someone has been here recently."
The three became alert.
They slowly moved deeper into the abandoned village.
None of them noticed the shadow watching them from the roof of an old house.
And then—
The shadow disappeared.