The three of them—Hwan, Leo, and Luna—moved swiftly across the uneven path leading toward the village's edge.
The air was still, almost too still, and the sun had dipped low enough to cast long shadows that seemed to stretch toward them like grasping hands.
They didn't need directions. Luna's tracking led them straight to the abandoned house on the outskirts.
The broken-down structure stood crooked against the horizon, its roof sagging and windows boarded up.
But what caught their attention more than the ominous look of the building was the raised, agitated voices coming from inside.
The group slowed their pace. Leo motioned for silence.
"…are you sure this was okay? We were supposed to bring Leo here. We agreed that no civilians would be sacrificed. And now we've sent his sister into that cursed place—how is this any better?"
A man's voice snapped from within the house, thick with anxiety.
Another man responded, calmer and more authoritative.
