Since they parted the night before, Kael did not see his companion again, something that he considered worrying since at this hour, he would be in the bar drinking with the other customers. To make matters worse...
-(So today it's the 'old' Sile's turn, eh...).
Just as he said, in front of him flirting with Seamus was an older Sile acting as if she had never disappeared or come back younger.
-(This is weird, I guess at this point I can't just ignore all this... And I didn't see Ciara today either, I'm starting to get worried).
- "Is something wrong, Kael? I notice you fidgeting."
Seamus' voice snapped him out of his thoughts, causing him to respond nervously.
- "I'm fine, I was just wondering where Ciara might be..."
- "Ciara? Who is she, a friend of yours?"
- "Huh? What do you mean 'who is she'? I'm talking about Ciara!"
- "I'm sorry... I don't know anyone by that name. Are you looking for her?"
-(What the heck is going on? Did they forget about Ciara...?)
- "Kael?"
- "A-Ah, I got confused, I think that was the name of a long-time acquaintance."
- "Is that so? Well, if you're hungry, I can get you something to-"
- "No, I'm fine. I've got some things to do, so I'm going out for a while."
- "Oh, then take care. Bye."
-"..."
Without answering, Kael quickly climbed the stairs and changed into something appropriate to go out, hiding his knife in his clothes and went back downstairs, leaving the inn without saying goodbye. With quick steps, he made his way towards the entrance of the town as he spoke to the Being.
-[Heh, heh. In the end, you decided to listen to me, I congratulate you for that. However, I must ask, do you even know where to start, young man?]
- "No, but... I've got to do something, thinking about that place all day long won't get me to find out anything."
-[Just like pacing back and forth like an idiot won't either. Calm down and think, gather the information you have and move accordingly].
-"..." - (He's right, rushing and losing my cool won't solve anything).
-"...Okay, we've reached the entrance. Now, something that will be useful for us to know what's going on..."
-[You stayed in this village to help the girl and her inhabitants at the request of an old man. What did he ask you to get?]
- "Corpses... And some herbs."
-[Yes. The biggest mystery is to know 'why' he needs those corpses and 'how' he plans to use them. And...]
- "In 'where' he's using them..."
-[It's good to know you're not that stupid. But don't forget that nothing is clear, it may not be related at all. Anyway, before that human disappeared, he was following the old man. Look around for footprints or something that will let you know which way they went].
Rushed by the Being, Kael looked for the approximate place where 'Villager A' went the night before.
-"Here!" On the side of the road, in the woods, he found some footprints and an almost undetectable path, apparently made by someone. Deciding to follow the path, he advanced for several meters, until both the footprints and the path disappeared.
-[Never mind, keep moving forward.]
Kael continued in a straight line for an hour, until he noticed the tracks as well as the path. He had gone back to the beginning.
- "Once more..." Marking the trees he passed, he tried to follow once more, succeeding this time, as a little further on, what appeared to be a small house came into his view.
- "A house? Why is there a house here?"
-[...Go carefully, there might be something in there.]
- "Yes..."
As he advanced cautiously from his surroundings, a repulsive and nostalgic stench penetrated his nostrils, making it difficult for him to breathe.
- "I never get used to this smell... It's horrible."
-[What are you complaining about? You've been killing these things for a long time.]
- "That doesn't mean I'll get used to it. Besides, I don't want to hear that from you, you have no nose. No face. No body."
-[...]
- "Did you get mad? It was just a-"
-"[Shh... I feel a faint presence in that house."]
-"!!"
With knife in hand, Kael made his way to the house and opened the door. The moment he did so, a strong and foul smell came from inside, making the previous smell seem somewhat pleasant. The cause was simple to find; dead bodies. An immense amount of Undead Beast corpses were all over the place, some laid on top of the other reaching up to the ceiling.
- "¡¿!?"
But that was not what shocked Kael, but what he saw in a corner; a bed that just like the rest of the place, there was a human corpse and next to the corpse, with its eyes closed and looking at the ceiling....
- "Ciara... What the hell is she doing here...?"
- "Ciara!!! Hey, Ciara! Are you okay?!"
Immediately upon seeing her, Kael ran to her to wake her up, shaking her shoulders. With no response, he touched her neck to check her pulse. Feeling movement, he sighed in relief that nothing happened to her.
- "Hey! Ciara, answer me!"
- "Mhmm... Brother Kael...? What are you doing here?"
Rubbing her eyes, Ciara slowly sat up in bed, questioning Kael.
- "What am I doing here... That's what I should be asking!"
- "I don't understand what you mean, this is Ciara's house."
- "Your house? Are you kidding me? There's no way you live and sleep with corpses-"
- "They're not corpses!!! They're my friends and the one sleeping with Ciara is mom!!!"
- "Your friends and your mom... Stop talking nonsense and let's go, it's not safe for you to stay here."
- "NO, NO, NO!!! Ciara doesn't want to be separated from mom, not again!"
- "I told you, that's not your mother! Now let's go!"
Kael reached out his hand towards Ciara with the intention of grabbing her and pulling her away from that place, but when she realized....
- "GET AWAY!!!"
- "UGGH!"
At the same time as the deafening scream, a powerful and invisible force sent Kael flying, who due to the speed he was going, broke the window with his body and fell backwards out of the house.
-[Ho... This just got a little interesting.]
- "Ugh... What do you mean, interesting! This is serious!"
- "No one... No one will take Ciara away from mom..."
Ciara began to float, passing through the broken window and approaching Kael.
- "This... might be a problem...."