mission

Two months had passed since Leo joined the Black Hunters, and his daily life had become a blend of grueling training and mysterious tasks, During this time, a bond had formed between him and Tyler, his roommate and sword companion, adapting to this new world hadn't been easy, but Leo's intensive training and his alliance with Tyler helped him accept his new reality.

At the end of a long day of sword training, the two lay on the dusty ground of the training yard, catching their breath, Their weary voices cut through the silence, and Tyler broke the stillness by speaking: "The captain called for us today; I have a feeling he's planning to send us on a new mission."

Leo still panting slightly replied: "A mission? What kind of tasks do you usually handle here?"

Tyler wiped the sweat from his neck with a rough towel, gazing up at the sky: "We take on the jobs those other fools refuse The dirty work no one else wants to deal with."

Leo raised an eyebrow, confused: "You mean the king's soldiers?"

Tyler chuckled softly, as though the topic had become routine: "Yeah, they get all the praise, and we get the deadly jobs, But the captain doesn't care about such nonsense."

Leo nodded, then shifted the conversation, his tone thoughtful: "By the way, I've been meaning to ask you about Lisa… I haven't seen her since that day، And why on earth does she call me 'Father'?"

Tyler couldn't help but burst into laughter: "'Father'? She doesn't mean it the way you think. It's something deeper."

Leo's confusion deepened: "What do you mean? Host? I don't understand."

Tyler smiled gently, as though revealing an old secret: "Lisa isn't human, She's a young dragon, still growing, Dragons at this stage choose someone to consider their host, someone they see as a caretaker or master, Whoever shows them even the slightest kindness becomes their 'father' or 'mother' in their eyes."

Leo's eyes widened in disbelief: "A dragon! Lisa is a dragon? But… where is she now?"

Tyler replied seriously, his voice returning to its usual tone: "She's in hibernation, like most dragons who enter deep sleep for long periods, We don't know when she'll wake up, but she's fine, Anyway; let's focus, The captain is waiting for us—go and take your bath quickly."

A short while later, the two found themselves in the captain's office, where he greeted them with a faint smile before gesturing to the corner of the room, There, a pale girl stood, her black hair thick and her jet-black eyes piercing the shadows, She seemed to exude an aura of mystery, as if she had come from another world.

The captain spoke firmly: "You'll be carrying out this mission tonight The three of you."

They exchanged glances in surprise before refocusing on the captain, They responded in unison: "Yes, sir."

The captain continued, his gaze steady upon them: "We've received strange complaints from the caretaker of the Linkom Cemetery He's noticed a mysterious increase in the number of graves, and when he opens some of them, they're empty, There are also rumors of screams being heard in the dead of night, I need you to investigate and provide a detailed report, I expect no excuses."

The three nodded in agreement, then left the office, with the girl "Eileen" leading them quietly and calmly, They agreed to meet at ten o'clock that night at the gates of the organization before heading to the cemetery.

By the time the clock struck ten, they were all in place, Eileen walked ahead of them with measured, purposeful steps, while Leo and Tyler whispered quietly behind her.

Leo murmured: "Who is that girl? She looks like one of the nuns."

Tyler quickly cautioned him: "Watch what you say, She can hear us, She's much stronger than you think."

Eileen suddenly turned, her sharp, cold gaze piercing through them: "Stop talking about me and focus on the mission."

Leo and Tyler hastily swallowed their words, following her as they arrived at the cemetery's massive gate, tTayler uttered an ancient incantation, and the gate creaked open slowly, accompanied by a rusted groan, as though the cemetery itself were waking from a deep slumber, They stepped inside, where the air was heavy with the stench of decay, and a thick fog wrapped around the grounds like a hidden veil, The cold was biting, and the darkness engulfed everything.

They covered their mouths and noses; the stench was unbearable, Leo broke the silence: "The guard said there are 114 graves here، Let's count them all to make sure the number is correct."

They silently began counting, moving carefully among the graves, their eyes scanning every detail, After a few minutes, Tyler spoke up: "There's an extra grave, I counted 115."

Eileen added, her voice sharp: "Same here, The number is off by one."

They all moved toward the final grave, which looked different from the others, It had a headstone, but no name; just a smooth, gray stone.

Eileen glanced around, then headed toward a small shed on the side of the cemetery She returned holding two shovels, tossing them near Tyler and Leo: "Start digging."

Tyler glanced at the shovel, then at Eileen with a grimace: "Why do we have to dig?"

Eileen smiled coldly, replying with a hint of mischief: "Nuns don't dig."

With no other option, the two began digging, Each stroke of the shovel echoed in the eerie silence, and with every inch they descended, the atmosphere grew heavier, But despite their efforts, the grave was completely empty.

Suddenly, Eileen stopped speaking, Her body began to tremble unnaturally, her already pale face turning ashen, and her once jet-black eyes transformed into a haunting gray, Her breathing quickened, as if she was witnessing something invisible to the others.

Leo shouted, "Eileen! Are you okay?"

But Eileen did not respond, She had lost control, shaking violently as if an unseen force had taken over her entirely, Her panic escalated into a frenzied fit, her screams filling the night.

Tyler grabbed her arm, trying to calm her, but to no avail, Her condition continued to worsen until she collapsed entirely, unconscious.

Leo with a voice filled with concern said: "We have to pull out now, We can't continue the mission like this."

The two carried Eileen back to the organization, their thoughts heavy with uncertainty, The next day, they would have to face the truth; something terrifying and unseen was stirring in Linkom Cemetery, and when they returned, they would need to be prepared for whatever dark secrets lay hidden among the shadowed graves.