When these creatures emerged from the water, shreds of seaweed still clung to them like the tattered garments of drowned men.
Their bones were covered in a dark coating, and in their empty eye sockets flickered an ominous light. Some of them had shells hanging from their limbs, while murky water seeped from the cracks in their bones, trickling down onto the ground.
Their movements were unnatural—jerky, as if they were being pulled by invisible strings.
And with each step, a wet, wheezing sound escaped their hollow mouths, resembling a dying breath.
These were eerie skeletons. And somehow, they were moving.
A chilling sense of dread gripped the hearts of all the people. They all fled toward the center of the island.
Ars looked like a frozen corpse. The only thing that betrayed that he was still alive was the trembling of his hands.
Glumer, on the other hand, wanted to curse again, but quickly realized that he didn't have enough words to describe this fucking nightmare.
Glumer cast his gaze back at the island. In truth, calling this anomaly an "island" felt wrong.
To him, it seemed more like something foreign and unnatural. "Who in their right mind would call this an island?" he muttered.
Suddenly, from a house without a door, Veil and Lark burst out as if a ghost had been living inside.
Glumer instantly knew what to do. He grabbed Ars, who was mentally paralyzed.
Ars flinched in terror when Glumer seized his hand. But Glumer didn't care—he tightened his grip and yanked him forward, following Veil and Lark, who were running after the rest of the village.
Glumer could even hear the chief guard shouting.
"Everyone, run to the right! The second village is there!"
They ran, never looking back, feeling the cold darkness thickening behind them.
It felt as if, at any moment, the icy fingers of the dead would close around their necks.
Yet somewhere in the distance, laughter and the clinking of mugs echoed—the life in the village center carried on, unaware of the impending horror.
In the tavern, a grand celebration was taking place. Only those sixteen and older could afford such a party. Upon reaching that age, they were considered capable enough to handle difficult jobs.
This village was actually a colony of the main island, Green Reef, ruled by King Gildref. In the past, he had saved this place and claimed it as his own.
The young men here received jobs from people of this kingdom. There was plenty of work, but most of them could barely cover basic needs.
True, well-paying jobs were only available to those who had reached the necessary age. They could even start saving money and escape from this poverty.
Around the tavern, the atmosphere was lively. The building was just an ordinary wooden structure without a sign—none was needed since all the locals knew it.
Inside, a young man shouted,
"Daemon! You're late, man! I thought you wouldn't even show up. But damn, congrats on your damn promotion! You're a fucking miracle—I'd kiss you if I could!"
Daemon smirked.
"Heh, Kai, don't embarrass yourself. For you, even shaking my hand should feel like striking gold."
The whole group burst into laughter.
Kai responded enthusiastically,
"Heh, hell yeah! I need a few more bottles. We've got plenty of time to talk!"
He immediately walked off. But someone suddenly grabbed Daemon by the neck.
"I can't believe my eyes—my childhood friend is actually climbing his way up and escaping this fucking poverty. Well? What did he say? Come on, we all wanna hear it!"
Around them, voices of agreement rang out, everyone chanting "Yes!" as if they had been waiting for this all night.
Daemon smiled and raised his hand in a gesture that immediately silenced the room.
His voice and tone changed, mimicking the expression of the one who had spoken to him.
"Daemon, you have demonstrated your abilities well. Next week, you may move to the capital. Welcome to the Kingdom of Green Reef."
After that, no one could stay quiet. Cheers erupted everywhere. Almost everyone was overwhelmed with joy for him. More and more people were breaking through to the top.
This meant only one thing—unbelievable growth for their village.
But suddenly, their laughter was shattered by a massive earthquake. Candles, buckets, mugs—everything fell, and silence gripped the tavern.
Yet outside, the noise only grew louder. Every second person was screaming!
Chaos spread to every corner of the village.
Glumer and the others swiftly dodged every obstacle in their path. It seemed their small, quick bodies gave them an advantage in such a moment.
They raced toward the center. Everyone was desperate to reach the next village, which might offer them safety.
Glumer had worked many jobs in this village before, so he knew countless shortcuts.
He took the lead, silently signaling that he knew a better route. Veil didn't question him—he just followed.
Their speed was remarkable, and the village wasn't that large.
They managed to break through and enter the forest.
At that moment, all the lights went out, leaving only the moon to illuminate their path.
Glumer hesitated a few times, uncertain if he was going the right way.
They even had to slow down.
But that turned out to be their greatest mistake.
In the next second, something grabbed Veil by the shoulders.
Veil turned around—and saw a skeleton, unarmed.
Its body, its horrific breath, the sound it made—drowned out by the distant screams of people and the rustling of the forest.
Glumer was in shock.
"Where the fuck did it come from? No—how the hell did they reach us so fast? Don't tell me—"
Lark reacted instantly. Reflexively, he kicked the skeleton away while Veil was still frozen in place.
The skeleton was already on the verge of collapse and fell over from the blow, unable to rise quickly.
Its touch was so cold, so horrifying, that it left a wound on Veil's very soul.
But thanks to Lark, he snapped back to reality and immediately kept running.
"No… this can't be happening, right?" Glumer thought to himself, deftly leaping over rocks in the darkness.
The moonlight was the only gift that allowed them to navigate this nightmare.
Ars, however, was still lost in his mind. His psyche was too fragile. After seeing the skeleton, he was no longer capable of thinking clearly.
"No, no, please… end this nightmare, please, make it stop…"
Glumer ignored him. Suddenly, the trees thinned, and they reached the main hill, where they should have been able to see the next village. It was the perfect descent!
Veil was relieved. But for some reason, Glumer and Ars stopped running.
They froze, staring ahead. Veil didn't understand why.
He quickly caught up with Lark and looked down.
Suddenly, Veil's pupils shrank even further.
The first thing they saw from the hill was light. A warm, reddish glow... But not from torches.
From flames.
It devoured the rooftops, licked at the walls, danced in the streets. Thick black smoke rose to the sky, tearing through the night. Amid its billowing clouds, the fire's reflections flickered, as if hell itself had opened among the people.
They were staring at a scene straight out of the underworld. Even here, on the hill, they could hear the screams of terrified villagers.
The village was burning.
And in the distance, past the next village, another column of dark smoke could be seen, rising from yet another massive fire.
A village that had stood for hundreds of years was completely destroyed in a single night.
Ars turned away first, barely holding himself together.
Lark's exhaustion vanished, replaced by sheer fear and despair.
And Veil… He just stood there, staring at the nightmare with wide, empty eyes. For the first time, even he didn't know what to say.
There was no need to look at him to see the hopelessness in his eyes.
Glumer was the only one watching his friends.
But he didn't stay silent. He cursed as always.
Usually, his grumbling annoyed everyone.
Nobody liked his constant complaints.
But now… now, his voice burned like fire in the icy darkness.
"Fucking hell, you idiots—are you just gonna stand here like statues and watch the ruins?"
They all turned toward him.
"Just follow me," he said.
After a short pause, he continued.
"And I'll get us the fuck out of this nightmare."