...When dawn broke the silence of the night, they decided to move toward their goal. Damon extinguished the fire while Athena packed their tent. Soon after, they mounted their horses and rode through the forest in silence, the morning air cool and heavy with mist....
...Damon did not speak to Athena. He kept riding in front of her, never once looking back or meeting her eyes. Athena noticed it, the distance between them growing with every step their horses took, but she said nothing....
...After a while, Athena heard the sound of flowing water. It was faint at first, then clearer, like a soft call carried through the trees. Curious, she guided her horse in the direction of the sound, hoping to find a waterfall. Damon followed her and called out, annoyed, “Hey, are you crazy? Where are you going?”...
...She did not answer him and continued forward, her attention fixed on the sound....
...When she finally reached the source of the noise, she stopped, stunned....
...Before her stood a village hidden deep within the forest. It was her first time seeing a village situated in such a place, untouched and quiet, as if the forest itself was protecting it. When Damon caught up to her, he too froze at the sight....
...“What is this?” he asked. “A village in a forest?”...
...“I—I don’t know,” Athena replied quietly....
...The village looked peaceful, almost unreal. Wooden houses were built neatly, smoke rose gently from chimneys, and people worked happily in the fields as if the world beyond the forest did not exist. Clear water flowed like glass through stone paths, reflecting the sky above. The village was undeniably beautiful, yet something about it felt strange....
...Damon noticed an old man working in a nearby field and approached him. The man looked to be in his sixties, with white hair and wrinkled skin. Damon asked him about the name of the village....
...“Heliosia,” the old man replied....
...Neither of them had ever heard the name before....
...Studying their confused expressions, the old man seemed to understand that they were travelers. His tone grew serious as he warned them, “People don’t stay long in our village. If you wish to leave, do so before sunset. No one leaves after sunset.”...
...The warning left Athena uneasy, her fingers tightening around her reins. Still, low on supplies and with no other choice, she quietly followed Damon as they headed toward the village chief’s house....
...Damon knocked, and the chief opened the door. He was a middle-aged man with kind eyes and a warm, welcoming smile. Damon explained that they were short on resources and asked if they could stay in the village for some time. After listening carefully, the chief agreed and offered them a room....
...Damon looked relieved....
...Athena did not....
...As the chief spoke, Athena felt something shift. For the first time in her life, she saw it—an aura surrounding him. It was faint, yet heavy, pressing against her chest like a silent warning. Her instincts screamed at her to stay away....
...Athena said nothing....
...But as the sun slowly began to sink toward the horizon, shadows stretching across Heliosia, she could not shake the feeling that coming to this village was a mistake—and that night would reveal what the village was hiding....
~To be continued
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