Chapter 46: Whispers in the Wind, Shadows in the Water

Drake moved cautiously through the deserted village. The silence was unnerving, broken only by the creaking of the wooden stilts beneath his feet and the gentle lapping of the murky water against the platforms. The air hung heavy with a sense of abandonment, a feeling that something terrible had happened here.

He activated *Observe*, scanning each hut and building. Most of them were empty, their doors hanging open, revealing bare interiors. A few had signs of a hasty departure: overturned furniture, scattered belongings, and unfinished meals left on tables.

*Notification: "Evidence Detected: Signs of a hasty departure. No signs of struggle."*

"Looks like they didn't leave willingly," Drake muttered to himself. "But if they weren't forced, why leave everything behind?"

He approached the largest hut in the village, which appeared to have been some kind of communal hall or meeting place. The door was slightly ajar, and he could hear a faint whispering sound coming from inside.

He pushed the door open slowly, his short sword held ready. The interior was dark and dusty, with cobwebs hanging from the rafters. A large table sat in the center of the room, surrounded by overturned chairs.

The whispering sound was clearer now, a low, murmuring chant that seemed to emanate from the very walls of the hut. Drake activated *Sense Magic*, and he could feel a faint magical presence in the air, a residue of some kind of ritual.

He moved further into the room, following the source of the whispering. He noticed a strange symbol etched into the wooden floor beneath the table. It was a circle with several intricate lines and symbols within it, glowing faintly with a pale blue light.

*Notification: "Magical Symbol Detected: Binding Circle. Purpose: Unknown. Currently Inactive."*

Drake crouched down, examining the symbol closely. He recognized some of the symbols from his studies with Corvus. They were related to binding magic, used to contain or control magical energies.

"A binding circle," he muttered. "So, something was kept here. But what?"

As he pondered this, the whispering sound intensified. He looked up and saw faint, shadowy figures flickering in the air above the circle. They were translucent and indistinct, but he could make out their general shapes: humanoids, their faces contorted in expressions of fear and anguish.

*Notification: "Spectral Entities Detected: Echoes of the Disappeared Villagers. Non-Hostile."*

Drake realized what these figures were: echoes, remnants of the villagers who had disappeared. Their fear and anguish had imprinted themselves on the magic of the binding circle, leaving behind these spectral traces.

He focused his *Sense Magic* skill, trying to decipher the whispers. He could now make out some of the words, fragmented phrases spoken in a panicked tone.

"…taken… the water… dark ones… below…"

The words sent a chill down Drake's spine. "Taken… the water… dark ones… below…" he repeated. "That doesn't sound good."

He looked around the hut again, searching for any other clues. He noticed a small, wooden carving lying on the floor near the table. He picked it up, examining it closely. It was a crude depiction of a fish-like creature with large, glowing eyes.

*Notification: "Clue Discovered: Carving of a Deep One. Implication: The villagers were taken by Deep Ones."*

Deep Ones. Drake had read about them in one of the books he had found in Oakhaven's library. They were aquatic creatures, said to dwell in the deepest parts of lakes and swamps. They were also known for their dark magic and their tendency to abduct humans for… unknown purposes.

"So, they were taken by Deep Ones," Drake muttered. "That explains the 'taken… the water… dark ones… below' part. But what were they doing here? And why were they using a binding circle?"

He looked back at the symbol on the floor, then at the shadowy figures flickering above it. He realized that the binding circle hadn't been used to contain the Deep Ones. It had been used to contain something else… something that the Deep Ones were after.

He had a feeling that he was getting closer to the truth. And he had a feeling that the truth was far more dangerous than he had initially imagined.