God of Mist

Chapter 19: Village 4

Bathed in moonlight, Lucas sat on a creaky old branch, feeling it shake under his weight.

Now Lucas was desperate. The artifact might slip from his grasp.

Looking down, he often said random things like "This world is truly beautiful. It was one of his quirks.

Below, the village resembled a quiet painting with the moon playing hide-and-seek behind clouds.

In the stillness of the night, Lucas' mind wandered to a conversation he'd had hours earlier in the village hall.

He had been greeted there as a hero for rescuing Aline from the clutches of Night Swift, a menacing figure.

Surrounded by the scent of aged wood and resin in the crowded village hall, Lucas found himself amidst the excited chatter of the villagers.

"Deep in the forest, there's a hidden hole," an old farmer began, tracing an imaginary map with his wrinkled hands over the flickering embers.

"It is said to be filled with ancient artifacts, remnants of a lost era."

This was the man Aline had introduced to Lucas, the same man w