The leader of the mercenary group stood at the edge of the campfire's glow, his brow furrowed. Something wasn't adding up. The noises in the forest, the delayed return of his men—it all pointed to trouble, but the nature of it eluded him. A beast? Perhaps. They had encountered their share of dangerous creatures in these woods. But the leader couldn't shake the feeling that this was something far more sinister. His instincts warned him that the prince they were hunting, whom they had dismissed as a weakling, might not be so helpless after all.
Rohan, now fully aware of the weight his true name carried, knew he had to turn the mercenaries' arrogance against them. His name—Rohan Arthur Atlantia—was more than just a marker of identity. It was now a weapon, one that could strike down anyone who dared to know it. He crouched near the bodies of the two fallen mercenaries, their faces still twisted in agony, and carefully wrote his name in the soft earth beside them.
The letters glowed faintly under the moonlight, a silent lure for his enemies. Satisfied, he melted back into the forest, his steps light and deliberate. The dense foliage swallowed him as he retreated to a safe vantage point, where he could watch the next stage of his plan unfold.
The three mercenaries who had been sent to investigate the missing men moved cautiously through the forest. Their torches illuminated the ground in flickering bursts, their nerves evident in the tight grip they kept on their weapons.
When they reached the site, the sight of their comrades' lifeless bodies stopped them cold. The corpses lay sprawled on the ground, and blood staining the earth around them. Their faces were a horrific sight—blood streaming from their eyes, ears, and mouths, frozen in expressions of indescribable pain. The agony is visible through their expression as it seems they have undergone very painful moments before they died .
"By the gods…" one of them whispered, his voice trembling.
"What could have done this?" another asked, scanning the darkness with wide eyes.
Their leader had warned them about beasts, but this… this didn't feel like the work of any animal. The unnatural state of the bodies sent a chill through them. Then one of them noticed the writing in the dirt.
"Look! Over there!"
The others turned their torches toward the ground near the bodies. The faintly glowing letters became clear: Rohan Arthur Atlantia.
"What the hell is this?" the brashest of the group muttered, stepping closer.
"That's the prince's name," another said, his voice laced with fear. "But why… why is it written here?and why Rohan is added in front?"
"Maybe it's a warning," one suggested, though his tone betrayed his own uncertainty.
"Or a trap," the brash one added, his eyes narrowing.
Before they could deliberate further, the sound of something rustling in the distance made them all snap to attention. Their instincts kicked in, and one of them immediately launched a flare into the sky. The firework shot up, exploding in a bright burst of light and signaling the rest of the team to converge on their location.
Back at the camp, the leader saw the flare and cursed under his breath. "Damn it. Looks like we've got more than we bargained for," he said, grabbing his sword and motioning for the remaining men to follow him.
Within minutes, the entire team had regrouped at the scene of the carnage. The leader's eyes swept over the bodies, his expression hardening. He knelt down, inspecting the wounds. There were no signs of a struggle—no claw marks, no slashes—only the terrifying reality of how they had died. Then his gaze fell on the writing in the dirt.
"Rohan Arthur Atlantia,why Rohan added here?" he murmured aloud.
The mercenaries exchanged uneasy glances.
"Is it really him?" one asked, his voice hushed.
"Has to be," another said. "But why would he leave his name like this? It doesn't make sense."
"It's bait," the leader said firmly, standing and turning to face his men. "He's playing with us, trying to get in our heads."
"Or maybe it's something else," the brash mercenary said. "What if he's… different now? The Churches said he wasn't awakened, but what if that's changed?"
The leader narrowed his eyes. "You're suggesting he's using some kind of power?"
"I'm just saying, we've never seen anything like this before," the brash one replied, gesturing to the bodies. "If it's the prince, and if he's got something up his sleeve, we need to be careful."
The leader's jaw tightened. "Careful won't get us paid. We stick to the plan. Find him, take him alive if possible so we can get the card he have, but don't let your guard down. Whatever this is, we'll handle it." Greed flashes in his eyes .
The team nodded, though the tension among them was palpable. As they prepared to continue the hunt, Rohan watched from the shadows, a cold determination settling over him. They had taken the bait, and now the next step of his plan could begin.