The faint thumping sound was still felt at Ren's feet even though dawn had not yet come.
He woke up on the floor of Farmer Joe's house, breathing heavily and his body covered in cold sweat. The old shovel lay beside him, but this time it did not glow. There was no whispering, no dreaming. But... the earth felt alive. He could feel it, like something was moving, writhing slowly far below. Something waiting for its time to awaken.
Ren sat up, staring at his hands. The runes on his arms had faded, leaving only faint, barely visible traces. But the hot throbbing in his bones, the stabbing pain in his joints—all were still there. It was not a dream.
He turned his gaze to the window. Outside, the night sky was still dark, lit only by the faint moon. The village of Mudbrook seemed quiet, too quiet.
Ren gripped his shovel and stood, a feeling of unease creeping into his mind. He walked out slowly, past the fields and the barn, then down the muddy path to the old well near the town square. Ever since the incident in the underground cave, everything had felt... fragile. Like a small crack hidden beneath the ground, waiting for its time to tear everything apart.
He looked up at the sky. There were no stars that night. Only gray clouds moved slowly, as if shrouding the world from something much darker.
Then... the earth shook.
At first it was small, like the heavy footsteps of a cow. But in an instant, the shaking turned into a massive earthquake that shook the entire village. Houses creaked. Roof tiles flew. Screams were heard from the direction of the settlement.
Ren fell to his knees, then immediately got up and ran. From a distance, he saw a faint red flash glowing underground, emerging from small cracks that had formed in the stone streets. Thin blackish green smoke seeped from the ground.
A terrible sound was heard from the direction of the square. Not a human voice. Not even an animal voice. But... the sound of the earth screaming.
Ren ran there.
The villagers scattered. Some screamed, some cried, and some just stood still, frozen in fear. In the middle of the square, the ground split open to form a gaping hole the width of three carts. Thick fog poured out of it, accompanied by a foul smell that made you nauseous.
"This is no ordinary earthquake…" Ren whispered.
Beside him, Elder Thorne came rushing in, followed by Marcus and several male villagers carrying torches and farming tools as weapons. Their faces were pale, their eyes wildly staring at the hole as if staring at the gates of hell.
"The priest is not responding… the protection amulet is not lighting…" Elder Thorne muttered. "Our land… is rising."
Suddenly the shovel in Ren's hand glowed red. A subtle vibration spread from the handle to his arm, then to his chest. The previously dim runes now lit up again, pulsing in time with the earthquake.
Ren gripped the shovel tightly. "They're coming out…"
Marcus turned sharply. "Who are they?!"
But before he could answer, a loud crack ripped through the air. The stone altar in the center of the square broke from below, flying to the side. From within the hole, something emerged… a bony hand, elongated like an insect, its bones protruding and its skin like frozen, rotten mud.
A scream tore through the night.
The Buried One appeared first, eyes glowing red, a small head with no mouth, just a black well-like cavity through which sound poured. The villagers screamed. Some ran, some just fell to their knees.
Marcus charged, his spear thrusting straight into the creature's chest—but it didn't go through. Instead, it melted halfway through, as if it had touched acid.
Ren didn't wait. He leapt forward and smashed the creature's head with his shovel. A red flash split the night as the steel blade slammed into the skull.
The creature roared, but it didn't die. It took a few steps back, then disappeared into the hole.
But the underground voices did not stop. They grew louder. As if… there were more of them.
Elena emerged from the east, her face pale, but her eyes shining with a faint golden light. "Ren! I know this place—I've seen it… in my dreams."
Ren turned. "Did you dream about them too?"
Elena nodded quickly. "There was… something big… something buried. And now, it's awake."
Suddenly the ground around the hole cracked. Four hands emerged from four directions, grabbing the sides of the hole and pulling up a large body. A monster as tall as a house, more like living roots intertwined into a humanoid shape. Its eyes were two giant holes that glowed green, and from its mouth—if it could be called a mouth—came the cries of thousands of people.
"Everyone back!" Ren shouted.
But many did not have time. The monster slammed its hands into the ground. A shockwave spread out, shattering stone tiles, knocking over houses around the square.
Ren's shovel glowed even stronger, then suddenly sucked in all the light around it. The runes changed shape—sharper, more ancient. He swung the shovel, and this time, the ground beneath the monster's feet sank, as if a giant hand were pulling the creature back into the bowels of the earth.
Elena stood beside him, the golden light from her hand connecting to the shovel. The two formed a beam of energy that burned the night air. But the creature did not remain silent.
From its back, black tendrils shot out, stabbing into the ground. And where they touched, small holes formed… and one by one, more Buried Ones began to emerge.
"There's not enough time," Ren said quietly. "We have to seal this… now."
Elder Thorne shouted from the other side. "Take your shovel to the founder's tomb! The chapel! That's the only place that can hold them!"
Ren and Elena turned together.
In the sky, the clouds parted in red and green light. The ground screamed.
And from within the hole… came another breath. A breath far greater, far deeper.
It was as if… the creature they had been facing was just a shell.
And the truth is... just opened his eyes.