The same chilling sounds from the previous night echoed through the tavern hallway. But this time, the disturbance escalated. A figure cloaked in shadow, their face obscured by a mask, slipped silently into William's room.
"Wh-what the...?" William mumbled, startled awake.
He scrambled to his feet, reaching for his sword, but a wave of dizziness washed over him. An unseen force had filled the room, a soporific smoke that sapped his strength and clouded his mind. He slumped back onto the bed, unconscious.
The intruder effortlessly hoisted William over their shoulder and slipped out of the tavern, unnoticed. A few townsfolk witnessed the abduction, but remained silent, their faces betraying a disturbing complicity.
"Best stay hidden," the innkeeper had warned one of them. "That other one, the older fellow, he seems strong. Causing him trouble could be...unpleasant."
It was clear that everyone in this forsaken town was involved in some dark conspiracy.
