When these creatures emerged from the water, tattered strands of seaweed still clung to them like the shredded garments of drowned men.


    Their bones were covered in a dark residue, and in their empty sockets flickered an ominous light. Some of them had shells hanging from their bodies, and murky water seeped from the cracks in their bones, trickling down to the ground.


    Their movements were unnatural—jerky, as if they were being yanked by invisible strings.


    And with each step, a wet, raspy sound escaped their hollow mouths, like the dying gasp of a drowning man.


    They were eerie skeletons. And somehow, they moved.


    A chilling dread seized the hearts of all the people. They all rushed toward the center of the island in a blind panic.


    Ars looked like a frozen corpse. The only thing that betrayed the fact he was still alive was the trembling in his hands.


    Gloomer, on the other hand, wanted to curse again, but quickly realized that no words could describe this absolute nightmare.


    He turned his gaze back to the island. In truth, calling this anomaly an island felt almost wrong.


    To Gloomer, it seemed more like something foreign, something unnatural.


    — Who in their right mind would call this an island? — he muttered.


    Suddenly, from a house with no door, Vale and Lark burst out as if they had just seen a ghost.


    Gloomer barely noticed how he grabbed Ars by the wrist, but when Ars caught his gaze, he instantly paled and froze in terror.


    Whether it was because of Gloomer himself or the horror approaching from the shore—he didn’t care. He wasn’t going to stop.


    Clenching the other’s hand so tightly that the bones nearly cracked, Gloomer dashed forward, chasing after Vale and Lark. They were already tearing through the crowd, forging a path through the panicked masses rushing toward the second village.


    Behind them, the head guard''s voice rang out:


    — Everyone, run to the right! The second village is that way!


    But who was even listening to him? Panic had shattered all order. People ran in all directions, colliding, falling, trampling each other. The cold darkness surging behind them was nearly brushing against their backs.


    Gloomer heard some footsteps slow… then vanish.


    He didn’t look back.


    And in the center of the village, just a few streets away, laughter rang out.


    There, they had no idea that death had already arrived.


    The tavern was alive with energy.


    The air was thick with the scent of beer, roasted meat, and overheated bodies. Laughter bounced off the wooden walls, drowning out even the heavy thud of tankards being slammed onto tables.


    Tonight was special. A party open only to those who had turned sixteen.


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    At this age, one was considered an adult—at least by the village’s standards. Old enough to take on real work, earn money, and, if lucky, find a way out of here.


    Outside the tavern, the scene was just as rowdy: drunken teenagers staggered near the entrance, some already dozing off on the ground, while others argued loudly about their plans for tomorrow, as if the future was already in their hands.


    The tavern itself was nothing special—just a simple wooden building with no sign. But a sign wasn’t needed. Everyone already knew where to find a drink and good company.


    Inside, a voice suddenly bellowed:


    — DAMON, MY MAN, YOU’RE A FUCKING MIRACLE!


    The voice cut through the noise.


    — I THOUGHT YOU WOULDN’T SHOW UP!


    Damon grinned but didn’t even get a chance to respond before a friendly slap landed on his back.


    — Congrats on your goddamn promotion, brother! — Kai raised his tankard. — I’d kiss you out of joy if I could!


    — Heh, Kai, don’t embarrass yourself, — Damon chuckled lazily. — Even a handshake from me is like striking gold for you.


    Laughter erupted around them.


    Kai snorted.


    — Alright! We need a few more bottles! Then we’ll talk!


    He staggered off, but before Damon could even take a deep breath, a hand suddenly gripped his throat.


    A raspy voice spoke:


    — I can’t believe my eyes. My childhood friend is actually about to escape this fucking dump? Well, come on, tell us—what did he say?


    The crowd instantly came to life, voices overlapping in an excited clamor, all shouting the same thing:


    — YES!


    The roar of voices rang in his ears. Everyone was waiting.


    Damon slowly raised his hand.


    Silence fell.


    He straightened up and, deliberately mimicking someone’s tone, spoke with a mocking lilt:


    — Damon, you’ve shown great skill. Next week, you may move to the capital. Welcome to the Kingdom of the Green Reef.


    A beat of silence.


    And then—an explosion of cheers.


    Shouts, laughter, fists pounding on tables. Someone threw their arms around him, others were already offering drinks in celebration. The entire tavern erupted in a frenzy of joy.


    The more people managed to climb up in life, the stronger the hope grew that one day, this place would stop being a hopeless pit.


    But the celebration didn’t last long.


    Suddenly, everything shook.


    The walls trembled, the floor rippled like waves, and the next moment—everything collapsed.


    Candles rolled, buckets clattered, glasses crashed to the floor, shattering into countless shards. Someone screamed.


    But the most terrifying thing wasn’t inside.


    Outside, the entire village was already screaming.


    Chaos was spreading into every corner of the village.


    Gloomer and the others skillfully dodged every obstacle. It seemed their small, swift bodies gave them an advantage at a moment like this.


    They were running toward the center. Everyone wanted to reach the next village as quickly as possible, hoping it could provide them with safety.


    Gloomer had worked various jobs in this village more than once, so he knew countless shortcuts to get there.


    He immediately pulled ahead, hinting that he knew a better route. Vale didn’t say anything—he just followed.


    Their speed was incredible, and the village wasn’t that large.


    They managed to break through and enter the forest.


    At that moment, all light vanished, and it seemed the only illumination came from the moon.


    Gloomer stumbled a couple of times, unsure if he was going the right way.


    They even had to slow down.


    But that turned out to be a grave mistake.


    In the next second, something grabbed Vale’s shoulders.


    Vale turned around—and saw an unarmed skeleton.


    Its body, its awful breathing, and the sound muffled by distant human screams and the rustling of the forest…


    Gloomer, seeing this, was in shock.


    — Where the hell did it come from? No—how the fuck did they get to us so fast? Don’t tell me…


    Lark reacted instantly—he reflexively kicked the skeleton away while Vale was still paralyzed in fear.


    The skeleton already seemed barely holding together; it immediately collapsed from the blow, unable to rise quickly.


    That hand was so cold and horrifying that Vale’s very soul seemed to suffer a wound.


    But thanks to Lark, he snapped back to reality and immediately resumed running.


    — No… this can’t be real, right? — Gloomer thought, skillfully leaping over stones that appeared in the darkness.


    The moonlight was the only gift that allowed them to navigate through this nightmare.


    Ars, meanwhile, was still out of it. His mind was too fragile. After seeing the skeleton, he could no longer think straight.


    — No, no, please, end this horror, please, enough…


    Gloomer ignored him. Suddenly, the trees became sparser, and they emerged onto the main hill, where they should have had a clear view of the next village. It was the perfect descent into the village!


    Vale felt relieved. But for some reason, Gloomer and Ars stopped running.


    They stood still, staring down. Vale didn’t understand what was wrong with them.


    He and Lark quickly reached the spot and looked down.


    Suddenly, Vale’s pupils shrank even further.


    The first thing they saw upon reaching the hill was light. A warm, reddish glow… But not from torches. From flames.


    It devoured rooftops, licked at walls, and danced in the streets. Thick black smoke stretched toward the sky, tearing through the night’s canvas. Through its swirling masses, the fire’s flickering glow shone like hell itself had opened among the people.


    It felt like they were watching the depths of the underworld. Even here, on the hill, they could hear the villagers screaming in terror.


    The village was ablaze.


    And in the distance, above another village, another cloud of smoke loomed, rising from another massive fire.


    A village with a history spanning hundreds of years—was completely destroyed tonight.


    Ars turned away first. He was on the verge of breaking but still remained silent.


    Lark’s exhaustion vanished in an instant, replaced by fear and despair in his eyes.


    And Vale… He just stood there, staring at the nightmare with wide, empty eyes. For the first time, even he didn’t know what to say.


    There was no need to look at him to see the hopelessness in his gaze.


    Gloomer was the only one looking at his friends.


    But he didn’t stay silent—he cursed, as always.


    Usually, his grumbling annoyed everyone.


    No one liked his endless complaints.


    But now… now, his voice sounded like something bright, like fire in the freezing darkness.


    — Fucking hell, you idiots, are you really just gonna stand here like trees and watch the ruins?


    They all turned to look at him.


    — Just follow me.


    After a slight pause, he added:


    — And I’ll get us all out of this hell.