Whispers in the Dark, A Face to Vanish For

The town was small, a patchwork of worn stone buildings and narrow alleyways, surrounded by looming walls that seemed more decorative than functional. A strange, uneasy silence hung in the air, despite the occasional murmurs of townsfolk going about their business.

Elliot, Aurelian, and Kieran moved through the streets, stopping villagers to ask about the disappearances.

Each time, the response was eerily the same.

"It's always the beautiful ones," an old woman muttered, shaking her head.

"They vanish at night. Never a sound," a merchant added, keeping his voice low.

"No one ever sees them again," whispered a man sweeping his doorstep.

Elliot frowned, glancing at Aurelian and Kieran. "I feel like we're talking to a broken record."

Kieran nodded, arms crossed. "Either they're scared, or they don't know more than this."

Aurelian exhaled through his nose. "Something's wrong. If this has been happening for a while, why hasn't anyone done anything?"

The group was about to move on when Elliot felt a small tug on his sleeve.

He looked down to find a child staring up at him, wide-eyed and pale. The boy's voice was barely above a whisper.

"Be careful…" The child's grip tightened. "They will take you if you show your face… They always like that face… Otherworldly…"

A sharp chill crawled up Elliot's spine.

Aurelian immediately knelt beside the child, his voice calm but firm. "What do you mean? Who are 'they'?"

But the boy only shook his head and darted away, disappearing into a side street.

Elliot stood frozen for a moment, his heartbeat quickening.

[System Notification: Warning – Unknown Presence Detected.]

He swallowed hard, turning to his companions. "Okay. I really don't like that."

Kieran's gaze was sharp. "It means you're already being watched."

Aurelian stood, his expression unreadable. "We need to be careful. Let's find an inn and regroup."

Elliot exhaled, forcing down the unease twisting in his stomach.

Whatever was happening in this town, it wasn't normal. And now, it seemed he was part of it.

The warning clung to Elliot like a second skin, cold and unsettling. He kept glancing over his shoulder as they walked through the town's uneven streets, but the boy who had whispered to him was long gone.

He wasn't the only one on edge. Aurelian's usual calm had sharpened into something more alert, and Kieran's posture was rigid, his eyes scanning their surroundings.

The town itself felt normal at a glance—merchants peddled goods in the market square, children darted between buildings, and laborers carried crates from one end to another. But beneath the surface, there was something off. The people they questioned gave the same eerie responses, their voices hushed, their expressions wary.

"It's always the beautiful ones."

"They vanish at night. Never a sound."

"No one ever sees them again."

Elliot clicked his tongue. "You'd think a whole town repeating the same line would be a bigger red flag."

Kieran nodded. "Fear makes people predictable. The more they repeat it, the more they convince themselves there's nothing else to say."

Aurelian hummed. "Then we need to find someone willing to tell us what they haven't been saying."

Elliot sighed and rubbed his temples. "So what, we just sit around until one of us gets kidnapped?"

Kieran and Aurelian exchanged looks.

Elliot blinked. "Wait. No. No. I don't like that look."

Aurelian smirked. "It's a solid plan."

Kieran nodded. "If they're targeting certain types of people, we use that to our advantage."

Elliot groaned. "And by 'we,' you mean me, don't you?"

Aurelian gave him an innocent look. "Well, I doubt they're after me or Kieran."

Elliot threw his hands up. "Oh, sure, let's just dangle the 'otherworldly' person in front of the creepy kidnappers. Great plan."

[System Notification: Quest Triggered – Bait the Unknown]

[Objective: Lure out the entity responsible for the disappearances.]

[Reward: ???]

Elliot glared at the floating text. "Even the system's in on it. Fantastic."

Kieran ignored him, already turning toward the market square. "If we're going to do this, you need to match their usual targets. We'll need to change your outfit."

Elliot blinked. "Excuse me?"

Aurelian clapped him on the back. "To the dressmaker we go."

The tailor's shop was a modest building tucked between a bakery and a blacksmith's forge. Inside, bolts of fabric lined the walls, and mannequins dressed in finely woven garments stood in the corners.

An older woman greeted them, her eyes lingering on Elliot longer than he liked. "You're not from around here, are you?"

Elliot forced a smile. "Nope. Just passing through."

The woman gave a knowing hum. "And what kind of clothing are you looking for?"

Kieran crossed his arms. "Something that matches the victims."

The tailor's hands stilled on a roll of fabric. A tense silence filled the room before she turned sharply. "You shouldn't be asking questions like that."

Elliot narrowed his eyes. "Then why do you look like you already know the answer?"

The woman hesitated, her gaze flickering between them before she let out a resigned sigh. Without another word, she moved toward a chest in the back of the shop, unlocking it with a small iron key.

She pulled out a set of neatly folded clothes and handed them to Elliot.

"This," she said, "is what they wear before they vanish."

Elliot unfolded the garments. The outfit was simple but elegant—dark embroidered fabric, slightly formal yet alluring. The kind of thing you'd wear to a gathering where you wanted to be noticed.

Aurelian smirked. "You'll look good in it."

Elliot shot him a deadpan look. "Not the point."

Kieran studied the tailor. "What else do you know?"

She hesitated, glancing toward the door as if afraid someone might overhear. "Just this… Anyone who wears that and walks the streets alone at night—they don't come back."

Elliot exhaled slowly, staring at the fabric in his hands.

Aurelian nudged him. "Still having second thoughts?"

Elliot scoffed. "Oh, definitely."

[System Notification: Quest Updated – The Hunt Begins.]

He sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Let's get this over with."