The villagers are thirsty.

Kaito leaned over the table, scanning the details. “And there’s no pattern to it? No specific order in how the wells dried up?”

“At first, I thought there was,” Nyla said, tapping one of the circles on the map. “But then, after comparing the dates, I realized the water sources vanish completely within a few nights. It’s too fast for natural causes.”

Kaito narrowed his eyes. “You said the villagers hear strange noises underground, right?”

Nyla nodded. “Some described it as a low rumble, others as a deep, echoing gulping sound. But every time we try to investigate, there’s nothing there.”

Kaito smirked. “Sounds like we might not be dealing with a simple water shortage.”

Nyla sighed. “I’ve suspected something unnatural for a long time. But I had no proof. Until recently.” She pulled out a crumpled parchment and spread it open on the table. It was a rough sketch of a massive creature—serpentine in shape, with dark, hollow eyes and jagged fins along its back.