Warm morning sunlight spilled through the window and landed across Nuri's face. Slowly, he opened his eyes, noting that the seasonal warmth felt much stronger today than it had yesterday. For a brief, fleeting moment, everything felt entirely peaceful. Then he noticed something. Alina wasn't in the room.
At first, he didn't think much of it; she had probably just gone downstairs ahead of him. Stretching lazily, he got out of bed, threw on his clothes, and headed toward the lower dining room.
Fil had already prepared breakfast, and the old man smiled faintly when he saw Nuri enter. Despite the grim horror currently hanging over his village, the elder was still doing his absolute best to make his unexpected guests feel welcome. Yet as Nuri looked around the table, his chest suddenly tightened. Alina wasn't there.
"...Where's my sister?"
Fil blinked, looking up from his chores, and then slowly shook his head. "I haven't seen her this morning."
Something cold and sharp crawled right up Nuri's spine. No. Maybe she was just outside. Maybe she had gone for an early walk to clear her head. Maybe
Before he could finish the frantic thought, rapid footsteps echoed from the stairs, and Elina appeared in the doorway. "Morning."
Nuri immediately stood up from the table, his chair scraping loudly against the floorboards. "Elina, have you seen Alina?"
She frowned, pausing at his tone. "No? Why?"
The sheer panic bleeding into his voice finally made her pay close attention.
Nuri's hands began to tremble uncontrollably. "I can't find her."
The room fell into a dead silence. For the first time since they had set out on this journey, raw, unadulterated fear became completely visible on his face. "I looked everywhere," his voice cracked. "She's gone."
Fil slowly lowered his gaze to the floor. In a single second, his weathered expression seemed to age an entire ten years. "Another one..." the old man whispered, his shoulders slumping in total defeat. "She disappeared too. Just like the others."
"No." Nuri's answer came instantly, sharp and defensive. "That's impossible."
Alina was incredibly strong. She wasn't some ordinary, defenseless villager. She couldn't just disappear into thin air. She couldn't. She couldn't.
Before anyone could move to stop him, Nuri bolted through the front door and ran outside. The crisp morning air hit his face, but where it usually would have calmed his racing thoughts, today it felt utterly suffocating. Every single breath he took physically hurt. Every passing second felt like wasted time. What if she was hurt right now? What if she was calling out for his help? What if he was already too late?
His legs gave out beneath him, the strength draining completely from his knees. Luckily, Elina caught him by the cloak before he hit the dirt.
"Nuri!" She gripped his shoulders tightly, forcing him to stand. "Listen to me." Her voice was firm and incredibly strong, the true voice of a trained knight. "I know you're scared. So am I. But panicking won't help Alina."
Nuri clenched his fists until his knuckles turned white. "What if it's too late?"
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"It isn't," Elina answered immediately, without a single shred of hesitation or doubt. "Your sister is one of the strongest people I know." Her grip on his shoulders tightened reassuringly. "If anyone can survive long enough until we find them, it's Alina."
Nuri stared down at the ground. Slowly, very slowly, his frantic breathing began to steady. She was right. Crying wouldn't help her. Panicking wouldn't help her. They needed concrete answers, and they currently only had one solid lead left.
Simon's house.
Nuri suddenly looked up, a newfound fire in his eyes. "We need to talk to Simon."
Elina nodded grimly. "Then let's go."
This time, they didn't bother knocking.
CRASH!
The rotted front door flew completely off its hinges under a single, powerful kick from Elina's armored boot. Nuri honestly wasn't sure if the door itself or the surrounding wall had suffered more damage from the impact.
"What the hell?!" A skinny, pale boy nearly jumped clean out of his chair in the center of the room. "Hey! You can't just—"
Before he could finish his shout, Elina crossed the room in a blur, grabbed him, and pinned him forcefully against the sturdy wooden table. The furniture groaned loudly beneath the sudden impact. For the very first time since Nuri had met her, he thought Elina looked genuinely terrifying.
"Simon," her voice was ice-cold, stripped of all its usual humor. "Tell us everything you know."
"I don't know what you're talking about!" Simon struggled fiercely against her grip, but it accomplished absolutely nothing against a knight's strength.
"Please," Nuri stepped forward, his eyes wide. "My sister disappeared. Anything...anything will help..."
The sheer desperation in his voice was impossible for anyone to ignore. Hearing it, even Simon stopped fighting against Elina's hold.
After a few quiet moments, Nuri looked toward his companion. "Let him go."
Elina stared at Nuri, then sighed heavily, reluctantly releasing her grip and stepping back. Simon immediately retreated several steps to put distance between them, yet he didn't try to run out the broken doorway. Instead, he looked closely at Nuri, really looked at him. Perhaps, in that moment, the boy recognized the raw fear and helplessness in Nuri's eyes. The universal fear of losing someone important.
"Would you even believe me?" Simon asked quietly.
Nuri smiled, but it was a tired, hollow expression, one far older than a seventeen-year-old should ever possess. "Try me. I've seen enough strange things lately."
Simon hesitated, looking between the two knights, then finally spoke. "It started in the main village. A few months ago, I went there for studies." His hands tightened into fists at his sides. "That's when I noticed people acting strange."
"Strange how?" Elina demanded.
Simon frowned, trying to find the words. "I don't know. They looked normal. They talked normally. But..." He shivered noticeably. "It felt like something was wearing them. As if they weren't really people anymore. I left immediately and told everyone here, but nobody believed me." A bitter, humorless laugh escaped him, and his gaze lowered to the floor. "They said I was crazy. The disappearances started not long after that. I don't know what's causing them, but I know they're connected."
Nuri exchanged a profound, troubled glance with Elina. It wasn't a definitive answer, but it was a real lead.
Then Simon spoke again, his voice much quieter and more hesitant this time. "What if..." He swallowed nervously, lowering his voice to a whisper. "What if the God of Sacrifice is involved?"
Elina immediately stood up straight, her expression hardening in offense. "What?"
Simon quickly looked away, as though he instantly regretted letting the blasphemous words slip. Without another word, Elina turned and walked straight outside.
Nuri followed her out into the open air. The moment they were completely alone on the deserted street, Elina whipped around to face him. "That's ridiculous. Gods don't do things like this."
Nuri remained entirely silent for a moment, then slowly shook his head. "I'm not saying the god is responsible." He hesitated, knowing the next words were incredibly dangerous to even utter aloud. "What I'm saying is... what if the god disappeared?"
Elina froze completely, her eyes widening.
Nuri turned his gaze toward the distant forest line, where the sunlight could barely pierce the dense canopy of the trees. "This forest was originally filled with monsters. The God of Sacrifice protected it." His voice grew quieter, dropping to a whisper as the horrifying puzzle pieces clicked into place. "So what happens... if that protection suddenly vanishes?"
For a long, heavy moment, neither of them spoke a word. The wind rustled hollowly through the dead trees. And for the first time since they had arrived in this cursed village, everything started to make sense.