The air was thick with silence as the carriage pulled up to the outskirts of what had once been Eldenwood. The ground was charred black, the remnants of a fire long since extinguished, and the air itself felt heavy with the weight of a forgotten tragedy. The remains of once-vibrant homes dotted the expanse, but none were left untouched—burned walls, collapsed roofs, and the blackened skeletons of buildings greeted the group as they disembarked. Not a single sign of life stirred.
Kael stepped down from the carriage, his boots crunching on the dry, brittle ground. His heart sank as his eyes traced the ruins of his home, each structure a reminder of the life he had once known. The mood among the group was grave; no one spoke as they began their exploration of the decimated village.
Gareth led the way, with Thorne and Lira walking side by side behind him. Bram brought up the middle, keeping his hand near the hilt of his sword, eyes scanning for any threat, though it was clear there was none. Kael trailed at the back of the line, his feet dragging, his thoughts distant. His dark brown eyes, usually so sharp and focused, were dull, clouded with shock as he took in the sight of his now-lost home.
This was Eldenwood, his birthplace—the village where he and Mia had grown up, where they had dreamt of simpler things. How was he going to tell her this? How could he explain that their home, the place they had always hoped to return to, was nothing more than ash and rubble? They had worked so hard, trained under the kingdom's guidance, all with the promise that they could be reunited with their parents, that they could restore their family and come back here, to this village, to live out their days in peace.
But now…
Kael's mind raced, struggling to piece together the fragments of his emotions. This village had been their anchor, the place they had believed they could return to. He had once been eager to leave, always feeling constrained by its simplicity, but now—now he couldn't understand why. Looking at the ruins of the blacksmith's shop, where he had often gone to watch the flames dance in the forge, or the general store where his mother used to take him for supplies, it all seemed… perfect. Why had he wanted to leave?
He clenched his fists as they continued walking, each step heavy with disbelief. Everything he had once wanted to escape now felt like a dream that had slipped away, and the reality that replaced it was too bitter to accept.
Gareth broke the long silence, his voice low but firm. "Looks like the village was destroyed years ago. The mission was only to confirm the status, and… well, we've confirmed it. We should head back."
The group murmured their agreement, but Kael barely registered the words. As they neared the center of the village, Kael's eyes were drawn to a large, ruined structure—the mayor's home. It had once been a grand building, the pride of Eldenwood, where the mayor and the village council had lived and governed. Now, it was little more than a pile of scorched timber and broken stone, with a few remnants of walls still standing.
Kael stopped walking, his gaze fixated on the building. For a brief moment, a flicker of old anger sparked within him. He had once thought that perhaps the mayor and the council had betrayed their village, that they had somehow sold out the Eldenwood name for the kingdom's favor. But now, seeing the ruins before him, even that suspicion faded. Their home was burned to the ground, just like the rest. Bones, charred and brittle, littered the floor where the council once met.
Without thinking, Kael stepped forward. "Wait."
The group turned to look at him.
"There might be something here," Kael said, his voice hollow but determined. "We should check it."
Gareth and the others exchanged glances but nodded, following him into the ruined building. Inside, the smell of ash still lingered in the air. The group began to overturn what was left of the furniture, searching through the debris. Kael moved mechanically, his hands sifting through the ashes of what had once been the heart of the village's leadership.
They worked in silence for several long minutes, but there was nothing. Only ruins and remnants of a past that had long since been erased. Just as Gareth was about to call it off, Kael's foot nudged against something hard beneath a half-burned couch. He frowned and crouched down, lifting the couch with a grunt. As he did, a rug fell to the side, revealing a wooden trapdoor underneath, its edges blackened but intact.
"Gareth," Kael called out, his voice tight with surprise. "There's something here."
The group gathered around him, their grave expressions shifting as they stared at the trapdoor in the floor.
"Well, now," Lira said, a faint smirk tugging at her lips. "Looks like we found something after all."
Kael's heart pounded in his chest. What lay beneath that door? Could it hold the answers he so desperately needed?
But as the others prepared to open the door, a heavy feeling settled over Kael. Whatever they found, it wouldn't bring back what was lost.
With a deep breath, he steeled himself. The village of Eldenwood might have been reduced to ashes, but something beneath the surface had survived.