It was horrible

A knight hurried into the room, the creak of the front door echoing through the chamber. In his hand was a letter, sealed with the emblem of the South Fort.

"My lord, a letter from the South Fort," the knight announced as he approached Xavier, who was seated at his desk.

Xavier, deep in thought, set down his pen and looked up. "The South Fort?" he murmured, his brow furrowing. "What is it?"

Without another word, the knight placed the letter on the table. Xavier took it, breaking the seal and unfolding the parchment. His eyes scanned the lines quickly, but with every word, his expression hardened.

"He had no right to do that," Xavier said, his voice growing stern as he finished reading. "I warned him not to act rashly. But he keeps ignoring my words."

The weight of the situation sank in, and Xavier turned sharply toward the knight. "We need to move to the South Fort. Immediately. There's no time to rally everyone."

The knight, understanding the urgency in Xavier's tone, bowed quickly and exited the chamber, his footsteps quickening as he vanished down the corridor.

Left alone, Xavier gripped the letter tightly in his hand, his thoughts racing. "How could you defy me like this?" he murmured, his voice tinged with frustration. "And why didn't the Father tell me anything?"

The other side of the story,

Maxilin and Alex sat across from each other at the dining table, engaging in conversation. The clinking of cutlery was the only sound besides their voices. Two maids stood behind them, which drew Maxilin's attention. His gaze shifted between them, curious. If both of them were here, who was with Elizabeth? He cast a quick glance behind him and noticed Elizabeth approaching quietly. So she isn't dumb, Maxilin thought, a flicker of amusement crossing his face. His focus then returned to Mr. Alex.

"Mr. Alex," Maxilin began, his voice serious, "I think it's time we discuss business."

Alex nodded, setting down his fork. "Of course, Maxilin."

Maxilin leaned in slightly. "I want to know more about this beast. How did things start? What was the first sign?"

Alex sighed deeply, his face growing somber as he prepared to recount the story. "At first, everything seemed normal. But then, out of nowhere, our crops began to wither. There was no reason for it—no drought or disease, yet they dried up. That led to starvation. People fell ill. Livestock started dying from strange diseases. Then the real horror started. Some of the villagers went out to guard the remaining animals, thinking it was just wolves or bandits causing the trouble, but what they found was far worse."

Maxilin listened intently, his eyes narrowing. "So, it didn't start with people?"

"No," Alex continued. "At first, it was just the livestock. We thought if we protected the animals, we could stop the losses. But soon enough, the creature moved on to villagers. People began disappearing. At night, we'd hear screams from the fields, and by morning, we'd find bodies—if we were lucky. Sometimes, there was nothing left."

"And you?" Maxilin pressed. "Have you ever come face-to-face with it?"

Alex's gaze dropped to the table. His voice was low when he replied, "Yes, once. It was the worst night of my life." His hands trembled slightly. "It was raining that night. That's the only thing that saved me. The rain... it didn't like it."

Maxilin processed this carefully. "I'll need to see it for myself," he said after a pause. "Tonight."

"Tonight?" Alex looked up in surprise. "Are you sure you want to do this so soon?"

Maxilin nodded. "I don't want to waste time. The sooner I understand what we're dealing with, the better."

There was a moment of silence before Alex smiled, though it didn't reach his eyes. "As you wish, Maxilin. Just... be careful."