"Heading north?" Will stood at the crossroads, gazing at the desolate northern landscape. With a sigh, he steeled himself and began his journey toward the north.
"This place is truly barren," he murmured. After walking for several minutes, Will realized that there was nothing by the roadside except for wild grass, stretching endlessly. As he walked and observed the bleak "scenery" around him, a sudden sharp snap echoed beneath his feet, and he realized he had stepped on something.
"What is this?" Will stopped, bent down, and picked up the object he had stepped on. It was a wooden plaque, worn and weathered by time, thickly coated with sand, as though it had endured years of wind and dust.
"There seems to be writing on it," Will said, slowly brushing off the sand covering the plaque.
"Welcome... to... Rem Town!" Will struggled to make out the nearly faded words.
"This is it?!" Will stood up, eyes widening in sudden realization as he looked around. The area no longer resembled a town; in fact, it seemed utterly deserted. The remnants of buildings lay in ruins, and not a soul could be seen. This place bore no resemblance to the bustling town the old woman had described. How could a once-thriving town be reduced to this in only ten years? With this lingering doubt, Will cautiously ventured into the "flourishing town."
As he walked, Will realized that this place had indeed once been a town. Though nearly unrecognizable now, upon closer inspection, traces of human habitation could still be found along the roadsides.
"It seems this has truly become a dead city, not a single person in sight," Will muttered to himself. As he continued his walk, he only encountered crumbling walls of houses, with no sign of life, let alone any people.
"Could there still be a clue about the old woman's son here?" Will pondered. He then made his way toward a structure that seemed relatively intact—a building that appeared to be a church.
Like most churches, this one had been built with white as the predominant color, though after being battered by wind and sand for ten years, it had faded to a dusty, ochre hue. Will approached the heavy wooden doors of the church and knocked on them firmly.
"Oh, I forgot. There's no one left here," Will muttered to himself with a self-deprecating smile. This was a dead town, and no one would answer the door. He gently pushed open the door and entered, proceeding with caution.
Compared to the other ruins he had encountered, the church seemed to be in better condition. The only visible damage was a collapsed ceiling.
"This place is remarkably well-preserved," Will said with a sense of excitement. He slowly walked toward the center of the church, noting that the interior, unlike the destruction outside, still seemed almost new. The candelabras and pews were clean, with no dust, and the candles still held a trace of warmth.
"Has someone been here?" Will murmured to himself. His thoughts briefly turned to the strange figures in deep purple robes he had seen at the inn. Those figures had been headed in this direction as well.
"Boom!" Suddenly, a deep, resonating sound echoed through the church as the heavy doors slammed shut.
"Was that the wind?" Will spun around, his face marked with confusion. He scanned the area around the door, hoping to find some clue, but there was nothing.
To the right of the church stood a black metal door. Will approached and gently tried to push it open, but it seemed locked, refusing to budge.
"Looks like I'll have to use the strength of the giant again. After all, no one will be around to hear," Will mused as he looked at his clenched right fist.
"Ha!" Will shouted as he drew upon every ounce of his strength and struck the metal door with a powerful punch. The door let out a resounding "bang," but it remained unmoved, standing solid and intact.
"What? It's that sturdy?" Will grumbled in disbelief. He could hardly believe his eyes—if this had been any ordinary door, his punch should have been more than enough to shatter it. Yet, the door remained as unyielding as ever.
"Clearly, there's something inside that's meant to stay hidden," Will mused with a smile. He summoned his strength once more and struck the door again, but still, it did not budge.
"Damn!" Will muttered in frustration. However, the failure of his first two attempts did not quell his determination to continue exploring. He took a few steps back, preparing to charge at the door with his full force.
"Ha!" With a shout, Will rushed forward, ready to crash into the door. But just as he was about to make contact, someone suddenly struck him from behind with a wooden staff, knocking him unconscious.
The one who had struck him was a figure in a deep purple robe, their hood obscuring their face.
...
"Where am I?" Will groggily awoke, his voice soft and confused.
"Damn it, how did I get knocked out again?" Will scolded himself inwardly.
"Well, look who's awake," came a rasping voice. A man, appearing around Will's age but with a gaunt and sickly appearance, was speaking. His skin was pale, almost as if he hadn't eaten in days, and his clothes were tattered. He gazed at Will with a peculiar look.
"Where am I?" Will's eyes scanned his surroundings, trying to make sense of his situation. The place was so dimly lit that he could barely make out anything.
"This should be underground, beneath the church," the raspy voice responded.
"Who brought me here?" Will asked, lying back down and rubbing his sore head with both hands.
"It was those people in purple robes. They all wear hoods, so I couldn't see their faces," the man answered hoarsely.
"Why did they take me?" Will continued, his voice tinged with pain, a reminder of the force of the blow he had received.
"Why? I wish I knew why they took me," the man responded dismissively.
"Did they knock you out and bring you here too?" Will asked, eyeing the man nearby.
"No, I came here willingly," the man replied with a bitter laugh.
"Willingly?" Will asked, perplexed.
"Someone told me they could cure my illness, so I came to Rem Town to find them. But instead, they captured me," the man said in a low, urgent voice.
"You?" Will's thoughts turned to the old woman's son as the man's story echoed in his mind.
"My name is Johnny," the man said.