The sun dipped low, casting long shadows across the grassy plains as the trio traveled further away from the Mirage of Seasons. Silence settled among them, each reflecting on the strange encounter. Yuki kept glancing back, half-expecting to see the mysterious girl appear again, but the Mirage was gone, as if it had never existed.
After a while, Sae broke the silence. "What do you think she meant? About 'shaping the seasons of your life'?"
Yuki pondered this, the words echoing in his mind. "Maybe it means… that our lives aren't set. We have the power to choose, to change things as we go." His voice softened, as if speaking it out loud made the thought more real.
Taro nodded thoughtfully. "It's easy to forget that sometimes, especially when we're so focused on what lies ahead."
They continued walking, the path winding toward a distant hill where a small village appeared, its stone walls just visible on the horizon. The sky was darkening, stars beginning to prick the vast canvas above. A faint chill settled into the air, hinting at the evening ahead.
As they neared the village, a figure emerged from the shadows, cloaked and hooded, standing perfectly still in the middle of the path. Yuki felt an instinctual shiver as he met the figure's gaze—or rather, felt it, as the hood obscured any features.
"Travelers," a deep, gravelly voice called out from beneath the hood. "The road ahead is filled with dangers. Where do you journey at this hour?"
Yuki, cautious, replied, "We're passing through, hoping to reach the village before nightfall."
The figure chuckled, a sound that didn't carry warmth. "Passing through, are you? You carry an air of someone who's left something behind, yet carries secrets in his shadow."
Yuki clenched his fists, a small spark of apprehension rising. "We're not looking for trouble."
"But trouble finds those who don't seek it," the figure said. He moved closer, the flicker of a strange, silver medallion glinting at his chest. "Be warned, traveler. This land remembers, and not all shadows are cast by the sun."
With that cryptic warning, the figure turned and melted into the twilight, his footsteps eerily soundless.
Taro exhaled, his hand instinctively resting on the hilt of his blade. "Who was that?"
"I'm not sure," Sae murmured, her gaze lingering where the figure had disappeared. "But something about him… felt familiar, like an echo of something I've seen before."
Yuki tried to shake off the encounter, but the figure's words lingered in his mind. He pushed forward, his footsteps a little heavier. They made their way into the village just as darkness fully settled, and they found lodging in a modest inn nestled between two larger buildings. Inside, a warm fire crackled in the hearth, its light casting a soft glow across the room.
The innkeeper, a round, cheerful woman with silver hair, greeted them with a smile that seemed to chase away the cold. "Welcome, welcome! Travelers from afar, I see?"
Yuki nodded. "Just passing through. Do you have rooms for the night?"
"Of course!" She gestured toward the stairs. "Three rooms on the second floor, ready for you. And dinner will be served shortly. The stew's hot and thick, just the thing to keep out the night's chill."
As they settled in, Yuki's thoughts returned to the words of both the hooded stranger and the girl from the Mirage. "This land remembers," he whispered to himself, feeling as though he were on the cusp of understanding, yet the answer remained just out of reach.
That night, the stew was hearty, and the inn's common room filled with lively chatter from locals. But as Yuki glanced around, he noticed several villagers casting wary glances at the windows, as if expecting something to appear beyond them.
Unable to resist, Yuki turned to the innkeeper. "Is there something going on here? People seem… uneasy."
The innkeeper's face darkened. "It's the season for the Shadow Riders."
Taro raised an eyebrow. "Shadow Riders?"
The innkeeper nodded grimly. "They say it happens every few years—strangers on horseback appear at the village's edge at night, bringing misfortune to anyone they encounter. Some say they're spirits; others say they're outlaws. But everyone agrees on one thing: you don't want to meet them."
Sae looked at Yuki, her eyes reflecting both concern and curiosity. "We should be careful."
Yuki agreed, though he couldn't shake a sense of intrigue about these mysterious riders. After everything they'd encountered, he had the feeling this was not a mere superstition but something more.
That night, as they lay in their rooms, Yuki was awoken by a strange sound—a faint, distant galloping. He sat up, heart pounding, and crossed to the window. There, under the moonlight, he saw them: shadowy figures on horseback, moving silently through the streets. Their forms flickered, almost like ghosts, as they passed by, their faces hidden beneath dark hoods.
One of the riders paused, looking directly toward Yuki's window. A chill ran down his spine as their eyes met, though he couldn't make out any features beneath the hood. He watched, frozen, as the rider raised a hand in a silent, ominous gesture.
Then, just as suddenly as they had appeared, the riders vanished into the mist, leaving Yuki standing alone by the window, his pulse racing.
"What was that?" he whispered to himself, the memory of the hooded stranger's warning echoing in his mind.
The shadow of the riders lingered in his thoughts as dawn broke, casting the village in a pale, eerie light.