Cedric stood at the edge of the village, watching from a distance. He had left Jorin, Lila, Sera, and Kian behind, knowing they wouldn't recognize him. There was no point in staying with them like that. He needed answers. Something was wrong, and he was going to find out what.
The town was too clean. And the people were too normal. It was unnatural, and now, with his friends acting like completely different people, he knew he had to dig deeper.
He decided to search the town alone.
Before entering the underground,
Cedric moved carefully through the streets, staying in the shadows. He listened to the villagers, hoping to hear anything useful. Most of their conversations were normal—about food, work, and family. But when he walked by a small house near the center of town, he heard something different.
A deep voice whispered, "Another feast tonight."
Cedric froze.
He pressed himself against the wooden wall, listening closely.
"Only a few left," another voice replied. "We should finish them off before any outsiders arrive."
A cold chill ran down Cedric's back. A feast? Finish them off?
He had heard enough. He needed to find where they were keeping the prisoners.
Finding the hidden tunnel,
He kept moving, walking through the town until he found a small barn on the outskirts. The doors were shut tight, but he could see faint footprints leading in and out. Something was hidden inside.
Cedric carefully pushed the doors open and stepped inside. The barn was empty. Nothing but stacks of hay and wooden barrels. But as he moved forward, he felt something off. The ground was hollow beneath him.
He knelt and brushed away the hay.
A trapdoor.
His heart pounded as he slowly lifted it, revealing a set of stone steps leading into darkness.
Taking a deep breath, he climbed down.
The air grew colder as Cedric moved through the underground passage. It smelled terrible. Like rotten meat.
He reached the bottom and saw a long hallway with iron doors on both sides. This was a prison.
Cedric's hands tightened into fists as he walked forward. Who were they keeping here?
He checked the first few doors. Empty.
But then, at the end of the hallway, he found a larger room. He stepped inside—and froze.
There were bones everywhere.
Piles of them. Some fresh, some old. Blood stained the floor.
At the center of the room, four figures sat around a table, eating.
They weren't human.
Their mouths stretched wide, filled with sharp teeth. Their skin rippled as if something moved beneath it. These were not villagers. These were demons, a different kind.
Cedric's eyes narrowed. They had to die.
Cedric didn't wait. He rushed forward, sword appearing in his hand.
The first demon barely had time to react before Cedric sliced its head off.
The other three leaped up, hissing. Their bodies shifted, their human disguises melting away, revealing their true forms—gray-skinned creatures with long arms and glowing yellow eyes.
One lunged at him.
Cedric ducked, stabbing upward. His sword went through its stomach, and the demon screeched before collapsing.
The last two demons attacked at the same time. One grabbed his arm, while the other tried to bite his neck.
Cedric slammed his elbow into the first one's face, breaking free, then swung his sword, cutting the second one in half.
The last demon stumbled back, fear in its eyes. It tried to run.
Cedric wouldn't let it.
He raised his sword, then threw it like a spear.
The blade pierced the demon's back, pinning it to the wall. It let out a final shriek before going still.
The room was silent.
Cedric took a deep breath. It was over.
The Real Jorin, Lila, Sera, and Kian
He turned, scanning the room. There were cages at the far end.
His stomach twisted.
Some of them were empty—but others weren't. The demons had been eating people.
But then he saw them. Jorin. Lila. Sera. Kian.
They were locked inside one of the cages.
Cedric ran to them, gripping the bars.
They looked up. Their eyes widened.
"Cedric?" Jorin's voice was weak, but it was him. The real Jorin.
Lila grabbed the bars. "You found us…" She looked like she had been crying.
Sera and Kian were huddled together, shaking.
Cedric's chest tightened. They were all alive.
"I'm getting you out," he said.
He found the keys on one of the dead demons and unlocked the cage (Gross).
Lila stepped out first, stumbling. Cedric caught her.
She looked up at him. "I am sorry we should have listened…" Her voice trembled. "What's happening in this town?"
Cedric's jaw tightened. "It's not a town. It's a trap. The villagers are demons."
Sera gasped, gripping Kian's hand.
Jorin's face darkened. "That means…" he looked toward the empty cages. "They already ate so many people."
Cedric nodded. He didn't want to say it out loud.
"We have to leave," he said. "Now."
Lila looked at the other cages. "There are more people here."
Cedric turned. She was right. Some of the cages had survivors. Weak, but still alive.
He moved quickly, unlocking the cages. Five more people stepped out.
A man fell to his knees, crying. A woman held her injured arm, whispering thanks.
Cedric didn't have time for questions. They needed to move.
Escaping the Dungeon,
Cedric led the group back up the tunnel.
Jorin, Lila, Sera, Kian, and the other survivors followed behind him.
When they reached the top, Cedric peeked outside. The village was still quiet. Too quiet.
He turned to the others. "Stay close. Don't make a sound."
They nodded.
Cedric stepped out first, leading them toward the edge of town.
The entrance was close. If they could just make it there…
But something felt off. Like they were being watched.
Cedric tightened his grip on his sword.
They weren't safe yet.