The Silver Curse – Volume 2, Chapter 1: The Path Forward
After the Attack
Yuto sat in the dimly lit corner of an inn, rolling the silver rings between his fingers. The events of the past few days played over in his mind—the noble's failed cargo quest, the masked assassin who warned him off, and the growing unease that followed him even now.
The whisper still echoed in his head. You should not have come here.
He exhaled slowly, flexing his fingers as the rings pulsed faintly. Whatever was happening, it wasn't over.
The weight of his coin pouch reminded him that the guild had still paid him for his investigation, but money wasn't the issue—the mystery was.
And Yuto hated unsolved mysteries.
A New Lead
Morning came faster than expected, and Yuto found himself back at the adventurer's guild. He pulled his hood lower as he approached the request board, his eyes scanning for something that might lead him closer to the truth.
That was when he saw it.
"Urgent Quest – Unnatural occurrences reported west of Valkris. Adventurers missing. High reward."
The description was vague, but Yuto knew better than to ignore the signs. Unnatural. Missing adventurers. The similarities to his last mission were too obvious to ignore.
"Thinking of taking that one?"
Yuto turned slightly, recognizing the voice immediately. Mira stood behind him, arms crossed, her usual smirk present but tinged with curiosity.
"I might."
She tilted her head. "You sure that's wise? You're already on someone's radar. You take another job like this, and you're bound to attract more attention."
Yuto's fingers tapped against the parchment. "Maybe that's exactly what I want."
Mira raised an eyebrow. "Dangerous thinking, rookie."
He tore the request from the board. "You in or not?"
She chuckled. "Fine, but if you die, I'm looting your corpse."
Yuto smirked. "Fair deal."
On the Hunt
The journey west took them beyond Valkris's borders, past fields of golden grass and into the deeper woods where civilization thinned. The air here was different—thick with something unseen.
Mira walked beside him, one hand resting on her sword hilt. "Feel that?"
Yuto nodded. "Yeah. It's like the air itself is watching us."
Silence stretched between them as they moved deeper, following the trail left by the missing adventurers. The ground bore strange burn marks, eerily similar to the ones Yuto had seen before.
Then, the feeling of being watched turned into something more.
A presence.
"Get ready," Yuto muttered, gripping his sword.
Mira's smirk faded. "Already ahead of you."
The shadows shifted.
And something stepped forward.
End of Chapter 1