I had a dream that night. A nightmare.

I was in the forest, alone, being chased by a shadow, a monster. It wanted to kill me, to erase me. It kept getting closer and closer. It chased me on all fours and used the trees as walls to jump off of. Its hands were like claws, they dug into the ground tossing up snow and dirt. It never tired but I did. And, as it was about to reach me, I woke.

It felt so real.

It’s funny how dreams are.

Of all the things to dream of, why was it that? Was it because I saw that monster inside of the city?

“Can you confirm that story, Miss?” asks the captain. Unlike how he was a day ago, he’s less friendly, more tired, and standing completely still.

“Y-Yes… W-We heard a sound and went to see… There was something there, i-it was… I don’t know what it was.”

The captain has his eyes focused on me and I can’t bring myself to look him in the eye. Patrick bounces his leg and chews on the nail of his thumb. A bead of sweat rolls down his forehead and goes around his wild eyes.

Did he have the same dream as me? The moment I saw that monster’s hand, that black, shadowy hand, I felt all the life squeeze out of me. If it attacked, if the guards hadn’t come, both of us would be dead. I couldn’t have possibly made myself move. I was too scared.

“Well, so long as we’re still investigating this case, you two are to remain here.”

“What?” Patrick rises to his feet. “I-I can’t stay here! I, I have a party, friends waiting for me. They didn’t know where I went last night or where I am right now. What’ll they do if I don’t show up?”

The panic in his voice causes me to doubt his sincerity. He sounds like he wants to run. Like he believes the monster’s waiting for him back in his cell. Here, there’s always a guard watching, other people to keep it away, even if they’re not strong, at least we’re not alone… But for him, for someone like him who has friends and people he can trust, I understand why he wants to go to them.

Do I want to see them, Iris and Ellis?

“Unfortunately, I cannot bend the rules for that reason.”

Patrick stands. The guard behind him immediately reaches for his sword but the captain holds up one hand.

“You’re the captain,” Patrick shouts, “You’re boss unless the mayor says something. There’s no way a person could have done that to her.”

I rattle in the chair. We’re not bound by our hands nor our feet but one look at Patrick makes me wish we were. I don’t know what I thought of him before, kind, rational, calm? None of that seems to be the case now. It’s as if staring at that monster stirred up the animal inside him along with scarring his mind, leaving behind a person starting down the path to insanity.

He shakes his head, “You’ve never seen some of the crimes that can take place in the cities,” he walks behind his desk and picks up a piece of paper, “If you two would like to leave, then there is an option I have for you.” He holds up the paper for us to see, on it is written, ‘ADVENTURERS WANTED. SEARCHING FOR DANGEROUS MONSTER. TEN SILVERS FOR EACH PARTICIPANT.’

“So,” he says, “Spend another night locked up or join the search party and go home right now? Your choice.”

The room which I had claimed as my own in the previous days feels like the only safe place in the world. In here, my back pushed against the walls, my eyes able to see all the entrances to the room, and a book in my hands, is my haven. I don’t know what caused me to take his deal. Did I want to come back to this room that much even if it meant being alone because I’ve started to make this my own, or because I longed for the stories hidden inside of these books?

Cecily knew about the incident. It was apparently a hot topic given how gruesome the body was. I didn’t look but the guards weren’t able to clean it up quick enough and others in the town saw. The news spread like wildfire. Guards were patrolling the streets in full force in an attempt to reassure the people and a party of them had been sent to track the monster. They returned just as Patrick and I were released. They couldn’t find it.

When I came back into the guild from the prison, Cecily questioned me about my whereabouts. She’d checked my room earlier that morning and couldn’t find me. None of the other girls who worked before her saw me either and it worried her. The description going around was that a young girl was brutally murdered beyond recognition and that was enough to scare her. However, when she came up to me, I couldn’t muster the strength to care… Walking through the streets filled me with a dread I haven’t felt since waking up in the middle of the forest.

She wanted an explanation of where I was and why I was gone. Thanks to her, I snapped out of it, of constantly checking behind my back to see if it was stalking me. I summarized the events for her, choosing to leave out the encounter with the monster and left as soon as I could after asking her for a selfish favor. She delivered a pile of books to my room a little while later.

It’s through these books that I’m able to catch my breath and think straight.

The expedition leaves tomorrow morning. Its first destination is the village and then the mines. From what the captain told us, there are about thirty-five participating adventurers. I hope Iris and Ellis’s group is joining, even if it’s as dangerous as it is. If I can meet them one more time, maybe more memories will come surging back or maybe I can even ask to join them.

It’s a far-fetched hope and I know that by the time tomorrow comes, all my courage to ask them anything, if they are there, will have faded by then. Despite that, I cling to the little light like I cling to the candle burning next to the bed and like I cling to the book in my hands.

“Please,” I whisper, praying to a god, the water goddess, who I’ve never worshipped nor been able to connect with. “Please let them be there tomorrow.”

Once again I’ve borrowed Cecily’s staff. It’s sturdy and if I can swing it around, it’ll surely knock a person to the ground but I’m not used to it. It’s light enough for me to carry it without much issue and the few spells I’ve used it to cast came out strong and well but it’s long and awkward to hold, especially in the cold when the steel sucks all of the heat from my hands.

I arrive somewhat earlier than I expected to. There’s barely a dozen of the other adventurers here and the guards are running around completing some last minute tasks. The captain stands fully clad in his armor and gives out orders. Behind him is a middle-aged man with the sharp eyes and a crooked nose. His long brown hair is tied into a ponytail.

Seeing as how the captain talks to him, he must be the mayor.

Not much happens from when I first come to our departure but the entire time, I keep searching the faces of new arrivals for Iris or Ellis. The amount of people starts to overwhelm me and my eyes dart over the crowd scanning again and again for any sign of them. I know they’re not there because I’d have instantly found them but I hold out hope until the last adventurers come.

The march to the village is, luckily, uninteresting.

I dare not leave the safety of the group and huddle close with the only ones I know, Patrick’s party. They’re more than welcoming, flashing friendly smiles and quickly absorbing me into the middle of them all where Patrick also is. His health, while it had only been a day, is deteriorating. His eyes are tired, his gait uneven, and he keeps his hand over the sword at his hip. Whatever he saw back then, it left a lasting impact.

The village elder, guarded by two men, approaches us. He quickly throws himself at the feet of the captain and begins pleading, tears welling in his eyes, “Something-Something took my daughter! Please, you have to go and save her. I’ll do whatever you need of me!”

The captain has the Elder rise to his feet and explains the details surrounding her disappearance. Villagers emerge from their homes and gather around to listen. Most of them nod as the elder tells the story.

“I sent her out to manage today’s rations, as I wasn’t feeling quite well. While she was away, I heard something in the cellar where she was, and I immediately knew I made a mistake. That, that crazy man was in there! When I went to check on her, all I found were boxes thrown everywhere and the secret door was wide open. I sent a few of the village men after her but that was hours ago and they haven’t returned yet!”

The Elder doesn’t even try to recompose himself, instead he wallows in his tears until some of the village women come to comfort him. They take him back to his home and the captain turns to us. He scans the crowd and says, “Our main objective is to clean out the mines and investigate what kind of monster killed those miners and most likely killed the woman in the town yesterday. However, this village is under our protection and we cannot let a case like this go if the village is in danger. I will split our group into two, one to clear out the mines where the monster could be, and another to investigate the disappearance of the elder’s daughter. Any volunteers for the latter?”

Barely any arms rise. Then, Patrick raises his which prompts his group to follow. Stuck in the middle of them, I reluctantly raise my hand too. I see Dorian and Christopher out of the corner of my eye. Christopher volunteers as well.

“Good, that should be enough for a search party. You seven will split from our group and follow the trail left by the other villagers. Your job is to find the members of the village and bring them all back, of course, that includes the Elder’s daughter. However, if you encounter a monster that looks like the one from town,” his eyes focus in on Patrick. “Then you are to do either one of two things, kill it, or flee and contact us in the mines.

An ominous wind blows through as he finishes. Patrick is frozen stiff by the thought of the monster and doesn’t move until Lynn pushes him along. Lynn seems a bit more calm and thoughtful than the others but, while I haven’t thought about it before, Patrick’s usually in the leader role, isn’t he?

Christopher waves and introduces himself to the group before starting off in the direction given to us by one of the villagers. “The men went that way earlier. Barric, the son of the wealthiest farmer here, went along with them and is carrying a large and colorful bow. It should be quite easy to spot.”

We find their tracks a minute later between two rather large trees with chunks of bark missing. Their footprints lead to a decrepit, broken down shed in the middle of the forest, an entire section of the wall and rooftop is missing. Christopher signals us to stop as he raises his spear and peers inside.

“They’ve been in here,” he says, pulling an arrow out from the wall and spinning it in one hand. “It looks like at least one of them is no slouch. The arrow went in fairly deep.”

“You don’t think they saw the monster in here do you?” asks Lynn as she glances over at Patrick and me.

“Can’t say for sure. I wouldn’t dismiss the idea but I don’t think it’s very likely they met it in here. We’d have probably seen some bodies or at least some blood if they did. Any of you kids happen to be skilled in these things? I didn’t think so. I should have nudged Dorian to join. He’s much more suited to this than fighting in some caves.”

“S-sorry…” I mutter.

“You just don’t specialize in this sort of thing, there’s no reason for you to apologize. If anything, the fault is mine, if we don’t count the captain’s lack of care for this issue. He’s only making a show of saving the girl. I mean no offense when I say this, but why would he send the weakest bunch after her?”

“Sor-” I catch myself mid apology and point in the direction of the tracks. “W-We should keep moving.”

Patrick slowly nods, “Ellar is right…” his voice trails off as he gazes into the corner of the shed. His eyes break from its tired state into a wild state of recognition and terror. Snow flies up in a storm as Patrick sprints away from the shed in a frenzy. Lynn and the others scream out his name but he doesn’t stop.

“What the hell? There’s nothing in there. Go after him!”

We chase Patrick but he doesn’t slow not even as his panting grows louder and more frequent. It isn’t until Christopher manages to tackle and pin him that he comes back to reality.

“So-Sorry,” he pants, looking around. He stands but Christopher keeps a hand on him. “I-I don’t know what I was doing…”

“You were one of the people who saw that monster yesterday, weren’t you?”

He’s silent. Christopher doesn’t push the question, instead, he helps Patrick up.

Does he know I’m the other person? Could he guess? It doesn’t matter anyway. What we saw, what we think we saw yesterday, it’ll all be the same if we come face to face with that monster again. The moment we see it, everyone will know it was the one. By then, it’ll be too late for us to run. Should I convince them now? How would they see me? Would they think I’m a coward?

“If seeing a shadow like that was enough to scare you, maybe we should contact the main group and ask for some extra help.”

“No, we can’t do that,” Lynn says, “If it’s as terrifying as Patrick says, we should do our role without anyone else. If by chance, taking that one extra person causes them to lose to that monster then…” Lynn glances over at Patrick who doesn’t seem to notice.

“Alright. Then let's find the Elder’s daughter. When that’s all over, I’ll go back to the others alone. I don’t know what the captain was thinking by forcing your friend over there along. The worst thing for someone in a party to do is panic and all I can imagine him doing in the face of that monster is panic.”

We find the trail quickly and begin the hunt all over again. Christopher points out the odd marks on the trees and in the snow as most likely being made by an arrow. It’s all but confirmed when we spot a broken shaft lying in the snow.

Did the villagers catch up that fast or did the kidnapper stop for some reason?

“Oh, my…” Lynn covers her mouth and turns away from the scene. A pit forms in my stomach, and I almost stumble down the hill from my quivering legs. How much blood does one person have? There’s no way more than ten people were sent after the Elder’s daughter but the whole area is covered in red. A deep, disgusting red. A body with its lower bottom missing pollutes a small stream further carrying the red color down.

If I had eaten this morning, it all would have come out.

Christopher lets out a defeated sigh, “It looks like we were too late. Hah. We might be the ones who find that monster. Sorry for asking but-”

An arrow flies past us, missing but it’s close enough to hear it cut through the air. Christopher immediately pulls me down into the snow while the others run to cover. I roll Cecily’s staff to me and try conjuring a barrier to no avail. I can’t focus. I can’t focus because I see it, I see a shadow moving in the distance, looking for something.

Maybe if we just stay quiet, it won’t notice us.

“We’re here to help,” says Christopher. “We’re with a subjugation force meant to take down that monster that attacked the mines and whoever was here today! Come out and we can take you back to the village.”

I’m frozen still, eyeing the darkness beyond the trees looking for the shadow that moves. I hear whispering not too far away and then the crunch of snow as two figures-three figures emerge from behind a boulder. The one holding a bow drags a person by the cuff of his shirt.

“I still don’t think this is a good idea,” says the one with the bow, most likely the farmer’s son, Barric.

“They’re human,” answers the Elder’s daughter. “We can’t survive alone out here.”

Christopher rises, holding his weapon in the air, “I’m one of the adventurers sent to find you. Don’t worry, you’ll be safe with us. Can you explain what happened here?”

They don’t move from where they are but Barric speaks, “We were looking for Helena, we were right on her trail and I was shooting arrow after arrow almost hitting this bastard here,” he shakes the man he’s holding, “But when we made it over this hill, he fell on his knees and covered his head. We thought he’d given up but…”

“I-I-It came…”

He nods, casting a timid glance at the blood-stained snow, “‘It came. It came… It came…” he drops his bow and starts clutching at his chest. A moment later he throws up. With tears in his eyes he pleads, “T-Take us back to the village.”

Christopher solemnly nods, carefully walking down the hill.

“H-How come you’re still alive?”

“Patrick!” Lynn slaps his shoulder and bores into him with a look of disapproval. “Now isn’t the time to be asking that.”

“I-I don’t know,” Helena responds. “We just hid. As soon as it started killing, killing everyone, Barric grabbed me and we hid together. The monster made no noise as it killed them and I couldn’t muster the courage to look over the rock but… that thing loved torturing them.”

“When did it leave?” asks Christopher.

“Just moments ago, before you arrived.”

“Oh… Oh no. Oh no oh no oh no oh no. We have to leave. We-We have to get out of here before it comes back!” Patrick’s head swivels around looking into the forest, seeing things where nothing exists. “Don’t you get it? Don’t you get it!? You were bait! You were bait for more people to come for it to have more things to play with!”

“Patrick. Patrick, calm down!” Lynn slaps him. His blinks and seems to notice she’s there for the first time. “There’s no monster here, not anymore.”

“Y-You’re right. Sorry…”

Christopher, already by the three survivors, stares at Patrick. “We need to inform the main group that the monster was here. When we arrive at the village, I’m having all of you stay there until we come back, understand?”

“Understood,” Lynn answers.

As Christopher throws the unconscious man, the one who kidnapped Helena, over his shoulder, the air around me grows colder. The hairs on my arms stand still and the ever quiet forest becomes deafeningly silent. No one else notices the change in the air. Atop the hill, I see, from the furthest part of the darkness, something move. The shadow that haunts me in my dreams. It shifts left, right, left, right. Then, it takes a step forward.

“Ellar!”

The voice snaps me out of the trance.

“Wh-What?”

“You’re so pale. Are you okay?” Lynn touches my cheek and instantly pulls back. “Ouch! You’re freezing! We have to get you back to the village and near a fire quick.”

As she starts back to the village, I turn to look at the darkness beyond and can’t see a single thing behind my breath. When it clears, Christopher turns me around and pushes me toward the village.

Maybe it’s in my mind.

Maybe it’s nothing at all.

I bend down and grab a chunk of snow. It feels strangely warm in my hands. I crush it and use it to clean my hands from the wet slimy, yet sticky feeling plaguing me.