Mysterious Masked Girl

A four floored building made of pristine bamboo wood while adding a mix of wood from trees.

It was clean and well kept, the cleanest building that seems to have never been affected by the weather or time.

There were several servants by the front managing the surroundings and the gardens, sweeping up the smallest dust to keep their reputation as the cleanest building.

Brush. Brush.

Snip. Snip.

Pitter patter.

The atmosphere was calming and soothing, a very serene sight for who ever lives in this building.

Though people would be dripping with envy and jealousy, the person who lives in this household was worthy of it.

Up in the third floor balcony, an man in his 60s was gazing down on the small village bustling with people.

He had a small smile on his face as he looked at the faces of his people.

Ever since he became the elder, the village rarely suffered from monster attacks and crime that will make most worry.

"Another wonderful day..."

His voice was hoarse due to him becoming older.

The sun was shining bright and a few hours from now it'll fall and the boundless sky will be filled with beautiful stars.

"Hm? The young one has arrived."

He whispered to himself as he saw a young girl who looked to be twelve years old, long black hair and wore a plain white mask made of wood.

It had two black slits that served as eyes and a few thin lines that looked like a spiders web.

Clank.

Clank.

The girl knocked on the metal gate alerting the nearby servants. She was let in and the servants lowered their heads respectfully, she spared them glance and walked in without a care in the world.

"My, my. The audacity of this young woman, why did I invite her again? Oh, right, because some influential adventurer well known in these parts lead her here because..."

He paused and looked down, noticing the girls gaze suddenly changed.

Where was she looking?

The elderly man followed her gaze and it landed in the dark forest.

There doesn't seem to be anything wrong with it, nor was there anything happening or abnormal.

He pulled his gaze away and turned back to the young girl...

Who was staring back at him menacingly despite wearing a mask.

"What a creepily odd girl..." He thought but she seemed normal just a few days ago when she arrived, helping out the village people and checking out places.

Why was she acting the way she is now? And what could she be here for?

She continued looking at the elderly man at the top floor and the elderly man looked back, he had no idea what she was thinking at all!

Finally she looked away and continued walking towards the main house's entrance.

...

Finally arriving at the third floor where the village Elder's office is, the young masked girl cautiously looked around.

Examining the entire room like there might be some death trap waiting for her or something.

The elderly man sitting behind a desk smiled warmly, patiently watching the young girl.

"She's overly cautious huh?" Is what he was currently thinking.

He then sighed as he saw the young girl checking the bookshelves filled with very important notes and records.

"Are you done young miss? You may sit down, and don't touch those."

He said evenly catching the young girls attention as she stepped back from the bookshelves.

She then walked up towards the elder, though not taking a seat, just standing up and facing him evenly.

There was an awkward silence suddenly filling the room.

Neither of them spoke first for some reason, the silence was so loud that the only thing the elder could hear was his own breathing and his heartbeat.

The young girl was too silent, she was silent until she spoke:

"How are you, village elder?"

Her voice was light and sweet, yet somehow also indifferent and cold.

Like her voice didn't belong to hers but it was someone or something else speaking...

He felt shiver run down his spine but he didn't let it show.

The elder then responded, "I'm doing well as of today, why are you here young one?"

The young masked girl didn't respond for a moment...

She then looked back, towards the balcony where the clearing was situated.

She then turned back to the elder, instead of answering his question though, she asked another question of her own:

" As of today? Then I'll ask the same question thirty minutes from now. "

The elder was confused.

He furrowed his brows, looked at the young girl and then opened his mouth to speak.

But before he could even utter a single word, the atmosphere suddenly changed and it made his entire body shiver...

" Oh it happened much earlier than I thought... " The girl said turning to face the balcony fully, turning her back on the elder.

The elder stood up from his seat, feeling shaken at this weird but familiar feeling...

It's like he experienced this exact feeling before.

The girl took off her mask and let her long black hair flow with the wind that brushed by the balcony.

"... Ah I remember this feeling..."

The elder took a weak step forward, towards the young girl.

He couldn't see it but he could feel this cursed youth was smiling in the most malicious way possible!

"It... It woke up didn't it!?"

He yelled as he took another step towards the young girl.

He was furious.

After a decade of battling that cursed monster and putting it into a sleeping state, only eating the souls of the deceased...

Now it was being woken up so suddenly, and in his old age too.

He clutched at his chest, his heart was beating wildly. He could vaguely remember the nightmares he got of that horrifying thing.

"Calm down dear elder."

The young girls voice was calm as she turned around to face him.

She covered her face with the mask again, only leaving one of her eyes to show as she addressed him.

"There will be eleven youths my age who will arrive in this village," she said, her gray eyes made the elder freeze in his place not daring to move another step.

"Out of the eleven of them, I am looking for someone, black hair and gray eyes. Very easy to find, and if you wish you can call all eleven of the youths here."

The elder gritted his teeth out of anxiety and anger.

Anger because he, the village elder, the strongest warrior in his generation, was being ordered around by a young twelve year old kid!

Anxiety because the creature that took a decade of his life fighting and probably shortening his lifespan, was suddenly woken up at the arrival of this young girl. What's more is that her request, her request felt like a damned command!

Like he couldn't refuse what she just said, it felt as though his entire heart, and even his damaged and weakened soul was being pulled on by tiny threads of strings...

"Wh... What's the name of the person you are looking for?"

He said breathlessly.

The young girl chuckled and finally put her mask on fully, the gray eyes now hidden making the elder feel less weak.

"I do not know his name... Yet."

She answered, then she added:

"Just bring them here, I'll only observe for now. You, you will be asking whatever questions you wish."

Saying that, she walked out of the balcony and brushed past the elder who was still absorbing the information...

" Hold—!! "

He turned around to ask another question but she was already gone.

Not a single trace left...

He let out a shaky breath and walked to the balcony and looked down on the village.

There far away, eleven young kids just entered the village's main road.

Sigh...

Calling a servant to come up, he then issued a note looking for the said description that the young girl said to him.

Sticking it onto a messenger birds leg, he let it fly towards the inn that the youths went inside to.

He then stared at the dark forest.

The usual dark aura it emitted got even more darker and much pure, it'll only be a matter of time before that thing awakens.