The silence Bodies

The news spread within a few days.

At first, no one paid it any attention.

A simple fishing village, located north of the Kingdom of Water.

Barely a hundred inhabitants.

A place of no importance.

Yet...

When the soldiers arrived, they immediately forgot why they had come.

The village was... silent.

No laughter.

No children.

No animals.

Even the wind seemed to have stopped blowing.

The commander raised a hand.

— Stay on your guard.

The soldiers advanced slowly.

The houses were intact.

Meals were still set upon the tables.

The hearths were still burning.

As if time had stopped.

Then...

They saw them.

Dozens of inhabitants were standing.

Motionless.

Their eyes open.

They looked straight ahead.

Without blinking.

Without speaking.

Without breathing audibly.

A young soldier approached.

— Sir...?

No answer.

He placed a hand upon the old man's shoulder.

The old man fell backward.

Like a doll.

The soldiers immediately drew their weapons.

But...

The old man stood up slowly.

Still expressionless.

He returned to the exact same spot.

As if nothing had happened.

A cold sweat ran down the commander's back.

— What on earth...

The military medic came running.

He placed his fingers upon the old man's neck.

Then his face grew pale.

— His heart is beating...

Silence fell.

— He is alive...

Another doctor examined a woman.

Same result.

A young girl.

Same result.

An old man.

The same thing again.

They were all alive.

But no one reacted.

As if their souls had left their bodies.

Three days later...

The Grand Sage arrived himself.

He examined every inhabitant.

Then he requested that they be taken to an immense sanctuary.

No one was to kill them.

No one.

The priests protested.

— Grand Sage, they are monsters!

The old man slowly shook his head.

— No.

He placed a hand upon the forehead of a little girl.

A tear rolled down his cheek.

— They are simply waiting... for someone to bring them back.

⸻

This sentence deeply unsettled all the scholars of the kingdom.

For weeks, they tried everything.

Healing magic.

Sacred magic.

Spiritual magic.

No result.

The Silent Bodies remained motionless.

As if frozen between life and death.

⸻

But a terrifying discovery was made.

Professor Arkan, the foremost specialist on souls,

spent an entire night examining them.

At sunrise, he rushed into the Council chamber.

His face was livid.

— They are not empty...

Everyone turned around.

The Grand Sage narrowed his eyes.

— Explain yourself.

The professor unfolded his notes.

His hands shook.

— Every living being possesses a soul print. A kind of invisible light. With them... there is none left.

Silence invaded the room.

— It has not vanished... It has been... ripped away.

⸻

At the exact same moment...

Very far away...

In the depths of an ancient forest.

A silhouette was advancing among the trees.

With each of its steps...

The monstrous creatures drew aside.

None attacked it.

All bowed their heads.

As if before a king.

Or...

Before something more ancient still.

The silhouette stopped in front of an immense dead tree.

A voice resonated.

— The first one sleeps.

The silhouette did not answer.

A second voice.

Deeper.

— The Thousand Bodies are now nothing more than vessels.

— The only thing missing is... The True One.

The silhouette slowly raised its eyes toward the sky.

Then, in an almost inaudible breath...

It pronounced a single word.

— Soon...

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