Chapter 14: Into the Unknown

The rhythmic sound of hooves striking the dirt road filled the air as the convoy rode westward. The Everhart banners fluttered in the cool morning breeze, and the knights remained silent and disciplined, their armor clinking softly with each movement. The further they traveled from the capital, the more the air seemed to grow heavier with an unspoken tension.

Leon rode beside his father and Prince Darius at the front of the formation. His eyes remained fixed on the horizon, where rolling hills and sparse woodlands stretched toward the distant mountains. Somewhere beyond them lay the western frontier, where villages had mysteriously fallen and entire settlements had vanished overnight.

Rachel rode up beside him, adjusting her greatsword's strap with a grin. "You ready for your first real mission, little brother?"

Leon scoffed. "You've been calling me 'little brother' since we were kids, but I don't think I'm the small one anymore."

Rachel glanced at him, then exaggeratedly tilted her head back as if measuring his height. "Hmph. Fine, you're taller, but I'm still stronger."

Sophia, riding just behind them, let out an exasperated sigh. "Is that all you two ever talk about?"

Rachel chuckled. "We'd get along better if he just admitted that I'm the superior sibling."

Leon smirked. "Keep dreaming, Rachel."

Despite the lighthearted banter, he could sense the same unease that had settled over everyone else. They were riding into an unknown threat, and humor was just another way of keeping nerves at bay.

As the convoy passed through a small woodland trail, Darius finally broke the silence.

"Our scouts reported that the last village attacked was Black Hollow," he said, turning slightly toward Alistair. "But no survivors were found. No bodies either."

Leon frowned. "No bodies?"

Darius nodded grimly. "Only signs of a struggle—collapsed homes, scorch marks, shattered weapons. But not a single person left behind, dead or alive."

A chill ran down Leon's spine. Even in brutal conflicts, remnants of battle always remained—bodies, blood, something. A village completely erased with no trace of its people was unnatural.

"Do we know who's responsible?" Sophia asked.

"Not yet," Alistair replied. "But whatever we're facing, it's unlike anything we've dealt with before."

Rachel tightened her grip on her reins. "Then we just need to hit them harder."

Darius gave her a sidelong glance but said nothing. It was clear he wasn't underestimating their foe.

They rode in silence for a few more hours before stopping at a river crossing. The knights quickly set up a temporary camp, allowing the horses to rest while they refilled their waterskins. The cool rush of the river provided some relief from the long ride.

Leon dismounted, stretching his limbs before walking to the water's edge. He splashed some onto his face, letting the cold sting his skin to sharpen his focus.

Sophia knelt beside him, filling a waterskin. "Something's on your mind."

Leon hesitated before nodding. "It just feels… wrong. If this were a normal raid, we'd have some idea of who's behind it. Bandits, a rival kingdom, even rogue mages. But a village vanishing completely? It doesn't add up."

Sophia tightened the waterskin and stood. "We'll find answers soon."

Rachel approached, her expression less cocky than before. "Or we'll find trouble."

Just as she spoke, a scout came rushing back from the west, his face pale and breath labored.

"Sir Alistair! Prince Darius! We've found Black Hollow… but something is wrong."

Alistair immediately turned. "What do you mean?"

The scout swallowed hard. "The village is still standing… but it's empty. And it feels… cursed."

Leon exchanged a glance with Sophia and Rachel.

Darius stepped forward. "Lead the way."

The convoy quickly mobilized, mounting their horses once more and following the scout down the path. As they neared Black Hollow, an unnatural silence fell over the land. Even the birds had stopped singing, and the rustling of leaves in the wind felt eerily muted.

Then they saw it.

Black Hollow stood ahead, untouched by fire or destruction. Homes remained intact, carts still sat in the streets, and even the market stalls had fresh produce lying untouched. But not a single soul walked the village.

No signs of battle. No signs of life.

Only an overwhelming, suffocating stillness.

Leon felt a cold shiver crawl up his spine.

Something terrible had happened here.

And they were about to find out what.