The night was as black as spilled ink, its silence broken only by the distant hooting of an owl and the occasional rustling of wind through the trees. Heavy clouds smothered the moon, leaving only the faint glow of lanterns to cut through the darkness. The rhythmic pounding of hooves against the damp earth echoed through the empty roads, their weight pressing into the soft mud, splashing it with each forceful step. The soldiers, clad in dark cloaks and steel, moved without a word, their formation precise as they rode toward the distant village.
Their arrival was met with eerie stillness. No dogs barked. No voices murmured from within the homes. The village, small and unassuming, lay nestled between thick woods, its narrow pathways winding between clusters of modest houses. But despite its
