The silence

Aurelian's POV

The silence felt wrong.

The town had been eerily quiet all night, but this was different.

One moment, Elliot had been running just ahead of him, his crimson cloak a flash of color in the dark. The next, he was gone. No warning. No sound. Just… gone.

Aurelian skidded to a stop, his sword still raised, heart hammering in his chest. He turned sharply, golden eyes scanning the shadows where Elliot had been.

Nothing.

Kieran was right behind him, breathing heavily. He cursed under his breath, eyes narrowing as he pulled out a throwing dagger. "Where the hell did he go?"

Aurelian didn't answer immediately. His grip tightened on his sword as he reached out, letting his divine blood pulse beneath his skin. If Elliot was nearby—if there was anything left of him—he'd feel it.

He felt nothing.

Panic twisted in his chest.

Not again.

"Elliot!" His voice cut through the night, sharp and commanding. No answer. Only the whisper of the wind through the empty streets.

Aurelian turned to Kieran, his tone colder than usual. "We need to move. Now."

Kieran didn't argue. He was already analyzing the surroundings, sharp eyes flickering over the cobblestone, the buildings, the lingering shadows. He crouched, fingers brushing against the ground. His expression darkened.

"There's no blood," Kieran muttered. "No signs of a struggle."

Aurelian exhaled sharply, forcing himself to focus. Elliot had been right there. Someone—or something—had taken him. And if it had been those masked figures, there was no telling how much time they had before—

He shoved the thought aside. No. Elliot wasn't dead. Not yet.

Kieran stood, slipping his dagger back into its sheath. "If they took him, they won't kill him immediately. That's not their pattern."

Aurelian's gaze snapped to him. "Explain."

Kieran was already moving, stepping deeper into the alley where Elliot had vanished. "The missing people. They never find bodies. No traces. If they were just killing them, there would be something left behind."

Aurelian followed, tension coiling in his chest. "Then where are they taking them?"

Kieran hesitated before answering. "I think they're being kept alive. At least, for a while."

Aurelian clenched his jaw. That wasn't exactly reassuring.

He turned back toward the main street, scanning their surroundings again. The town looked the same as before—dark, quiet, deceptively normal. But something was different now.

Something had shifted.

Kieran must have felt it too because he murmured, "We're being watched."

Aurelian didn't react outwardly, but his fingers tightened around his sword. He could feel it—a presence lingering just out of sight.

It wasn't like before, when the masked figures had attacked. This was something else. A pressure in the air, crawling over his skin like unseen hands.

Aurelian exhaled slowly, lowering his sword but keeping his stance ready. "We need to get out of the open."

Kieran gave a short nod, and they moved swiftly through the streets, keeping close to the shadows. Every instinct told Aurelian that staying still would be a mistake.

Elliot had been acting strange lately. More secretive. More reckless. And now, just when they were starting to uncover the truth, he was gone.

Aurelian's chest tightened. He had known Elliot since childhood. Known him before he was this sharp-tongued, infuriatingly reckless man. Before he had become someone that Aurelian—

Aurelian pushed the thought away. This wasn't the time.

They reached the edge of the market square, where the town's old church loomed against the night sky. It had been abandoned long ago, its stained-glass windows cracked, its doors half-rotten.

Kieran frowned. "You think…?"

Aurelian didn't hesitate. He pushed the heavy doors open.

Inside, dust filled the air, thick and stale. Moonlight filtered through the broken ceiling, casting long shadows over rows of empty pews. At the far end, an altar stood, draped in tattered cloth.

And scrawled across the floor in deep, jagged cuts—

Symbols.

Aurelian froze. His blood went cold.

The carvings were deep, uneven, and unmistakably old. They ran across the stone in twisting patterns, curling in on themselves like they were trying to trap something within their lines.

Kieran exhaled. "That's not a language I recognize."

Aurelian didn't either. But something about it made his head ache. His fingers twitched against his sword hilt, an unnatural pressure pressing against his temples.

He took a step closer. The carvings pulsed, almost as if they were alive.

Kieran crouched beside him, running his fingers along the edges of one. "These weren't made recently." His voice was quiet. "Whoever's been taking people… they're using something old."

Aurelian's stomach twisted. He had fought many things in his life—monsters, men, creatures that shouldn't exist. But this—this was different.

He looked up at Kieran. "We need to find Elliot before it's too late."

Kieran nodded. "Agreed."

They turned to leave—

A sharp thump echoed from beneath the floor.

Aurelian and Kieran froze.

Another thump. Then a muffled voice.

Aurelian's pulse spiked. That was—

Kieran was already moving, stepping toward the altar, pressing his ear against the stone. His eyes darkened. "There's something—someone—below."

Aurelian didn't hesitate. He raised his sword and drove it straight into the weak point of the floor. The old wood splintered, revealing a dark, gaping hole beneath.

The scent of blood hit them instantly.

Kieran coughed. "Gods—"

Aurelian ignored him, peering into the darkness. A narrow stone staircase led down into what looked like an underground chamber. The air was thick, damp, and laced with something rotten.

Aurelian's grip tightened.

"Come on."

They descended.

The chamber was worse than Aurelian expected.

Bloodstained stone. The remnants of bones scattered across the floor. And in the center.

A cage.

Aurelian's breath caught. A figure was slumped inside, their wrists bound, their body motionless. The dim torchlight flickered across their face, revealing—

Not Elliot.

A girl.

She looked young, no older than sixteen, her face pale, her dress torn. Dried blood stained her skin, but she was still breathing.

Aurelian stepped forward, kneeling beside the cage. "Hey." His voice was steady. "Can you hear me?"

The girl stirred. Her eyes fluttered open, dazed and unfocused. Then—

She flinched. Hard.

Aurelian caught the briefest glimpse of terror in her eyes before she scrambled back against the bars, her entire body shaking.

"No—no, please—"

Kieran frowned. "We're not here to hurt you."

The girl's breath came in sharp gasps. She looked between them, her terror barely contained. Then, her voice cracked as she whispered—

"They'll come back."

Aurelian's blood ran cold.

The girl's hands trembled as she clutched the bars. Her next words were barely audible.

"They'll come back for me. And for him."

Aurelian's fingers curled into fists. "Him?"

The girl swallowed.

"The one they took tonight."

Aurelian stood abruptly. "Where?"

She hesitated, fear flickering across her face. But then, she lifted a trembling hand and pointed.

"Deeper," she whispered. "They took him deeper underground."

Aurelian exchanged a look with Kieran.

Then, without another word, he turned and started walking.

They were getting Elliot back.

And whoever had taken him—

They were going to regret it.