Chapter 31: Strange Happenings

In the days that followed, reports began trickling in from nearby villages. Livestock disappearing without a trace. Crops rotting overnight. Strange whispers heard in the wind. Each report painted a picture of a growing unease, as if the land itself was turning against the people.

Aelric decided to visit one of the affected villages himself. He, Lyra, Seraphina, and a few soldiers rode out early one morning, following the reports to a village on the edge of a dense forest.

When they arrived, the villagers were quiet and withdrawn. Many stayed inside their homes, peeking out from behind curtains as the group entered. Aelric dismounted and approached a farmer who was mending a broken fence.

"Excuse me," Aelric said gently. "I'm here to help. Can you tell me what's been happening?"

The man looked up, his face lined with worry. "It started a few weeks ago," he said. "First, our crops turned black, like they'd been burned. Then, we started hearing voices in the forest at night. No one goes near it anymore."

Aelric glanced at the trees that loomed in the distance. They were dark and twisted, their branches reaching out like claws. He felt a chill just looking at them.

"Has anyone seen what's causing it?" Lyra asked.

The farmer shook his head. "No. But some who went into the forest never came back."

Aelric exchanged a look with Lyra and Seraphina. "We'll find out what's happening," he promised the farmer. "And we'll stop it."