It was exactly 1:00 AM. The abandoned village lay silent, but wisps of smoke curled into the night sky.
Ethan's stomach twisted. Just minutes ago, this place had been nothing but a deserted ruin. Now, there were signs of life. And even if this were a normal village, who the hell started cooking in the middle of the night?
The black lynx stiffened, its fur standing on end.
Step by step, it backed away, glanced at Ethan and the others, then, without warning, slammed its head into a nearby tree.
And vanished.
"...What the hell?"
That thing was terrified. Did this mean something dangerous was about to happen?
Ethan's senses flared.
"Shit!"
From the village's ancient well, a dense, crimson mist was rising.
In seconds, it had spread throughout the entire village, seeping through every street, every empty house. Dark shadows twisted within the mist, drifting through the air.
