The air in Dunehaven Village carried a peculiar stillness. As the team arrived, the tiny settlement seemed untouched by the turmoil of the Martian desert. The village sat cradled in the curve of a low ridge, its rustic stone buildings faintly illuminated by the twin moons above. This was where Dr. Voss had supposedly lived, but as Liora, Karael, and Thane disembarked their transport, an unsettling unease crept into their hearts.
"Not much to look at," Karael muttered, his sharp eyes scanning the settlement. His hand rested instinctively on the hilt of his weapon. "You sure this is the place?"
Liora nodded, glancing at her handheld tracker. The glowing coordinates confirmed what they'd already been told by their informant. "This is it," she said, her voice quiet but resolute. "He lived here… or at least he used to."
The village was eerily quiet, the only sound the faint rustling of wind over the sand. As they approached, the first signs of life appeared—a flicker of movement in a window, the shuffle of footsteps behind a door quickly slammed shut.
"They're scared," Thane observed, his deep voice rumbling with a note of concern. "Or hiding something."
Liora led the way, her gaze darting from house to house as they entered the heart of Dunehaven. A cluster of villagers stood near a well, their faces shadowed and wary. When the team approached, the group dispersed almost instantly, leaving only an elderly woman hunched over, drawing water.
Liora stepped forward, her tone calm and measured. "Excuse me, ma'am. We're looking for someone—a man named Dr. Voss. We were told he lived here."
The woman paused, her hands trembling slightly as she set the bucket down. Her sun-worn face lifted, eyes darting between them. "Dr. Voss?" she echoed, her voice barely above a whisper. "No. I… I don't know that name."
Liora exchanged a glance with Karael, who narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "Are you sure?" he pressed. "He's a scientist. Worked on something important, something dangerous. It's vital we find him."
The woman shook her head quickly, her movements jerky and defensive. "I don't know him," she insisted, backing away as if their very presence was a threat. "Please… leave us be."
One by one, they approached other villagers, but the answers were all the same. No one had seen Dr. Voss. No one knew where he was. And the more they asked, the more closed off the villagers became.
"It's like they're all reading from the same script," Karael growled, frustration tightening his voice as the team regrouped near the transport. "They're hiding something."
Liora frowned, her mind racing. "Or they're afraid. We don't know what kind of influence Voss had here—or what followed him."
Thane leaned against the side of the transport, his expression unreadable. "We're not going to get anything out of them tonight. We need to stay and watch. See if anyone changes their tune."
The decision was made to remain in Dunehaven overnight. A small inn on the edge of the village offered them a place to stay, its dimly lit interior as sparse and unwelcoming as the rest of the settlement.
The innkeeper, a wiry man with darting eyes, showed them to their rooms with minimal conversation. "Quiet place," he said tersely, his voice barely louder than the creak of the floorboards beneath his feet. "Not much to do here. Best you keep to yourselves."
"Thanks," Liora replied, though the man's tone made it clear the words weren't meant kindly.
The team settled into their modest accommodations, the walls thin enough to hear every movement in the hall. Liora stood at the window, gazing out into the darkened streets below. The moonlight cast long, ghostly shadows over the village, and she couldn't shake the feeling that they were being watched.
"I don't like this place," Karael said from the corner, his arms crossed. "Something's off. These people know more than they're letting on."
"I know," Liora admitted, her voice quiet. "But pushing them won't help. We'll keep watch tonight and move forward in the morning."
Thane, seated on the edge of his bed, glanced at her thoughtfully. "You think he's still alive?"
Liora hesitated, the weight of the question pressing down on her. "I don't know," she admitted finally. "But we have to hope. Until we know for sure, we keep looking."
The hours passed slowly, the team taking turns keeping watch while the others tried to rest. Outside, the wind howled softly, a lonely sound that echoed through the empty streets.
It was just before dawn when Liora awoke with a start. The room was cold, the kind of cold that seeped into your bones and refused to leave. She glanced around, her instincts immediately on edge.
"Thane?" she called softly, rising to her feet.
The bed across the room was empty. His belongings were gone.
"Karael," she hissed, shaking him awake.
"What?" he muttered groggily, sitting up. But his expression sharpened instantly when he saw the look on her face.
"Thane's gone," she said, her voice tight.
Karael was on his feet in an instant, grabbing his weapon. "Where the hell would he go?"
"I don't know," Liora admitted, her stomach twisting with unease. She glanced out the window, searching the streets below, but there was no sign of movement.
The two of them moved quickly through the inn, checking every corner, every shadow. But Thane was nowhere to be found.
As they stepped outside into the cold pre-dawn air, the village was deathly silent. The wind had stilled, leaving an oppressive stillness that seemed to swallow every sound.
"Something's wrong," Karael muttered, his hand tightening on his weapon.
Liora nodded, her heart pounding as they stood in the middle of the empty street. The shadows seemed to press closer, the darkness feeling more alive with every passing moment.
And then, faintly, on the wind, came a sound—a low, mournful howl, distant but unmistakable.
Liora's blood ran cold. "We need to find him," she said urgently.
But as they turned toward the edge of the village, a chilling realization settled over them. Thane was gone. And they were no closer to finding Dr. Voss than when they'd arrived.