Night fell again as they finally arrived at a hill overlooking the remote village. From that height, under a moonlight as pale as the night before, the village looked like a small wound in the vast, dark landscape. There was only one main road that cut through the village, flanked by rows of simple wooden houses, no more than fifty in total. At the end of that road stood a large building with strange architecture, looking more like a forgotten old church than a village hall. There were no obvious signs of life, only a few weak points of light flickering from the windows of the houses.
The three of them lay prone among the bushes, observing in silence. The night wind whispered, carrying the scent of damp earth and something faint... something that made the hair on their necks stand up.
There was no glitter of electric lights that usually adorned the nights of Antares, no hum of a generator or the sound of modern vehicles. This village seemed to have been thrown out of a different century, an anomaly amidst the technological progress touted by the city center. For Rio, Dany, and Lisa, a sight like this was not surprising. Antares, for all its splendor, was an immensely large city, and behind its modern facade lay vast outskirts where many small villages lived in isolation, cut off from the progress of the times, forgotten by the glitz of civilization.
"This place has a bad aura," Lisa whispered, her sharp eyes fixed on the church-like building. Her hand instinctively gripped the hilt of her sword.
"Agreed," Dany replied, his voice low. He had already finished mapping the village's layout in his head. "One way in, one way out. Poor defenses if attacked, but also a perfect trap if we're not careful."
Rio nodded slowly, but his thoughts had snagged on one point: the large, church-like building he saw from the hill. Something had been bothering his sense of logic since he first saw it—its architecture was too different from the dilapidated and simple village houses. Too conspicuous. Too… out of place. As if the building wasn't built for worship or community gatherings, but for something far darker. Something waiting, hidden behind old symbols and moss-covered walls.
After confirming there were no suspicious movements, they descended the hill carefully, looking for a hidden spot to set up a temporary camp. They found a small alcove among large rocks, well-shielded from view and the wind.
"Is it safe to light a small campfire here?" Lisa asked, taking a flint out of her pouch. The night air was beginning to feel bitingly cold.
Dany shook his head slowly after surveying the area. "Too risky. The light or smoke could be seen from the village. We'll just use the thermal blankets." He pulled three thin rolls from his backpack. "After thinking it over, this is the best place for us to return to and regroup. It's far enough, but still within surveillance range." He looked at the small village in the distance. "So, what's the plan?" He glanced at Rio.
Rio didn't return Dany's gaze, his eyes still focused on analyzing the mental map of the village he had just seen. "Tomorrow morning, we split up. I'll try to approach the villagers discreetly, find anyone whose family members have gone missing, and dig for information. Maybe there's a pattern or a clue that's been missed."
"In that case, I'll focus on that large building," Lisa immediately replied, her gaze returning to the silhouette of the church. "My gut tells me something is very wrong there. I'll investigate from the outside first, look for an access point or any signs of activity."
"And I," Dany chimed in, "will try a more… formal approach. I'll look for the village chief. Maybe with a little charm and a few of the right questions, I can get a general picture of the situation here without raising suspicion."
Rio nodded. "Good. After our respective tasks are done, or if there are any significant developments, we return to this point to exchange information. Remember," he looked at Dany and Lisa in turn, his voice serious and uncompromising, "whatever happens, the top priority is to return here safely. If you encounter Eaters, or sense something worse, do not hesitate to fall back. We are not here to be heroes."
Lisa gave a short nod, appreciating the logic behind Rio's command. Dany, though he preferred direct action, also nodded in agreement, understanding the weight of the responsibility they now shouldered. The bond formed during their harsh training and the night of celebration was now being tested in their first real mission as a team.