Chapter 37: In the Dark

Weeks passed as the party of tourists learned more about everyday routines in the hamlet, watching people as they went about their tasks and rituals. They eventually blended in with the neighborhood and were recognized as an integral member of its tight-knit community.

While Dr. Rajesh conversed with the village's healers and wise elders, sharing his scientific expertise and learning about their traditional cures, Lena had developed a good connection with the youngsters, teaching them painting and storytelling.

Seth, endowed with a natural charm, struck up a conversation with the hunters in the hamlet and learned about their link to the forest, home of the resident feral. Curiosity drove Ethan to spend many hours in the old town library, where he discovered long-forgotten stories about the creature—many of which were veiled in legend.

The customs and spiritual traditions of the hamlet piqued Alicia's curiosity. Because of her training in anthropology, she was able to investigate the traditions and beliefs of the Feral people without raising red flags.

Nevertheless, the locals saw the feral as a silent, terrifying presence that existed only in their imaginations, regardless of how successfully they assimilated. A continual reminder of the unsettling essence of their duty, hints of the Feral's haunting howling could be heard at night, resonating across the dark forests.

Lena asked the group a question late one night while they were all gathered around a campfire with their village friends. Her voice was a combination of eagerness and caution. "Has anyone here ever encountered the Feral?"

The people exchanged wary looks, as if they were afraid to provide credence to the creature's mythology. After a while, a very old lady with deep-set wrinkles and a worn face spoke, her voice shaking. "When I was a little girl, I once saw it. I went into the forest on a moonless night in an attempt to locate my misplaced lamb. There it was, a vague, hideous creature under the boughs."

The others leaned in, their faces showing a mixture of fear and interest. The lady went on, "Its breath was raspy and heavy, and its eyes were like blazing embers." I wasn't harmed, however. Rather, it observed me briefly before vanishing into the darkness."

Intrigued by the story, Seth asked further questions. "Did it show any aggression?"

The female gave a headshake. "No, it didn't, young guy. However, I've never been free of the terror it made me feel that night. Even though the Feral is a mythical animal, I can attest to what I observed."

The villagers' unwillingness to talk about the Feral outside of whispers made Ethan shudder. The monster obviously had a strong hold on all of their minds.

The group came to the realization that they had just begun to explore this intricate mythology as the night went on and their conversations revolved on accounts of their meetings with the feral. The tales of the villagers, entwined with wonder and terror, added to an expanding fabric of doubt and intrigue.

Both the townspeople and the tourists saw unsettling flashes of light as the flames crackled and danced. The gang was drawn more into the intricate stories surrounding this mysterious creature by the Feral's mystery, even if it remained an enigmatic presence.

There was a mixture of excitement and fear in them when they went to bed that evening. It seems that the village's scrolls have the secrets of the Feral engraved in them as much as the air they breathed. And the gang, bound together by their search for the truth, realized they were on the brink of discovery.