Page 13 of Isle of Beasts and Shadows

Jonathan gave a concerned nod in response, his brow furrowing slightly as he tried to grasp the seriousness of her words amidst their current surroundings.

At least a few hours had passed, and the large group of soldiers were all miserable in the intense humidity and heat. Many of the soldiers behind Airella were filling the air with complaints.

“So thirsty...”

“Can’t we take this armor off?”

“So much more weight to carry.”

“I need a break. I’ll have a stroke.”

So much for being the King’s handpicked soldiers, Airella thought, a faint smile playing on her lips as she observed the soldiers’ discomfort, finding some amusement in their struggle.

Duran paid no attention to them, focused on the mission at hand, and they soon arrived somewhere strange. At first glance, you could easily tell it was a village, but if you looked again, it appeared as if no one had touched it in centuries. The soldiers all gathered and examined their new surroundings.

“Split up around here and check every house and section of this village. There could be valuable information here,”Duran’s voice was firm and authoritative. The soldiers swiftly followed his orders.

“Sir,” Marcus called out, “I found something just outside of this house.”

The soldier’s eyes fixated on a tattered piece of dark cloth lying near the barren entrance. He kneeled to pick it up, his hands brushing over the frayed edges with a mix of curiosity and caution, before presenting it to the first-in-command.

As Marcus handed the cloth to Duran, the leader’s expression darkened with a deep sneer. His reaction hinted at a blend of disdain and impatience towards the soldier of lower rank, clarifying that Duran harbored suspicions about this deserted village. He could almost envision the once vibrant community bustling with children playing, diligent workers, and housewives attending to their daily chores, now eerily silent and abandoned.

Airella obediently followed the instructions given to her, mirroring the actions of the surrounding others. She began her solitary journey, the sound of her footsteps creating a soft echo along the eerily quiet and overgrown path of the abandoned village. The atmosphere held a sense of desolation, with nature reclaiming its territory.

She arrived at a small wooden house that had been untouched by her fellow soldiers. This dwelling, just like the surrounding village, bore the marks of centuries past, showing the effects of time and neglect.

Airella noted the precarious state of the home’s exterior. Many of the roofs had collapsed, reduced to nothing but dust and debris. As she reached for the door of the decayed house, a feeling of unease washed over her, urging her to reconsider. Herhand hesitated on the handle, frozen in place as she gazed at it intently. Time seemed to slow down, enveloping her in a shroud of apprehension and uncertainty.

“Going in?” Jonathan’s voice broke her time spent frozen in thought, his presence startling her out of her reverie. How long had he been standing there, watching her contemplation?

“Oh, yeah...” Airella replied, her voice a little unsteady, as she pushed the door open and took a cautious step inside. The dim interior of the house enveloped her in a shroud of mystery and uncertainty.

Airella and Jonathan cautiously ascended to the second floor of the village home. The aged floorboards groaned under their weight, adding an ominous soundtrack to their exploration.

Suddenly, Airella froze in her tracks, a gasp escaping her as her eyes locked onto the remnants of the family that once called this place home. Jonathan, following her gaze, felt a chill run down his spine as he beheld the jumbled pile of skeletal remains haphazardly stacked in the shadowed corner of the room.

“What the hell happened here?” Jonathan stammered, taking a hesitant step back, his eyes wide with disbelief.

Airella and Jonathan stood transfixed, unable to tear their gaze away from the haunting sight before them. Jonathan crouched near the bones, inspecting them under the dim light filtering through the dusty windows of the abandoned house.

The family’s skeletal remains appeared eerily intact, as if a viscous, oily liquid had preserved them, emitting a faint, unpleasant odor.

Wrinkling his nose in distaste, Jonathan muttered to himself, “Clearly, something bad happened here a long time ago. These are human remains, Airella. Something wiped out this entire village, maybe even this entire island, of human life. Who knows how long this village has been here?”

Airella gawked at the human remains.

“About earlier… Something happened last night. It’s not safe here, Jonathan.”

Chapter 9

Amid the heavy silence that enveloped the second floor of the village home, a mysterious figure with piercing yellow eyes silently observed from the shadowy rafters above. His gaze, unwavering and filled with curiosity, lingered on the scene unfolding below.

A red-haired man, who he now knew as Jonathan, stood beside the blonde woman, Airella. The night before had brought them together, and now he watched them from his vantage point above. Fortunately for him, he pieced together their names by discreetly eavesdropping on their conversation.

The soul-eater, being fixated on the solemnity of the moment, pondered the rarity of such a scene. Human deaths were infrequent occurrences on the island, as the last of them died centuries ago. The Miscreants, mostly immortal beings, had caused the end of human civilization here. To the soul-eater, death was a profound transition, a beautiful yet solemn journey that marked the end of one chapter and the beginning of another.

Lost in his thoughts, the soul-eater momentarily forgot his presence as he lingered in the shadows, inadvertently making eye contact with Jonathan, a connection that sent a shiver down his spine. Airella, sensing the tension, movedswiftly to Jonathan’s side, their shared resolve clear as they instinctively reached for their weapons, ready for whatever may unfold.

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