As time flew by, two months had passed since Hawk’s departure.

Every day, Aria would come to care for the small plant. She usually chose dusk for this task, when the dim light made it easier for her to blend into the crowd. Besides, dusk was also the time when she delivered messages for Sovereign Bastion, a duty she had taken over from Oliver. Before leaving each time, she would remind Oliver to take good care of Xander.

One evening, Aria set out to deliver a message. Unfortunately, she was caught in a downpour again. Unlike before, this time the rain was relentless, continuing well into the night without any sign of stopping. With no other choice, Aria had to spend the night in the small cottage that had once belonged to Hawk’s attendant. She tidied up the room a bit, preparing to make do for the night.

However, Sovereign Bastion's nights were never without unsettling experiences.

Late into the night, Aria was abruptly awakened by the sound of low murmurs. Hawk’s cottage was in a secluded corner, surrounded by dense woods. The night was so quiet that she could almost hear the echo of her own heartbeat.

Aria instinctively held her breath, her heartbeat pounding in her ears like a drum. Her fingers unconsciously clenched the blanket, her thoughts instantly overtaken by tension and fear.

“Keep your voice down, do you want everyone to hear us?” a man whispered urgently, his voice tinged with anxiety.

“You think I want this?” another voice responded irritably, seemingly struggling to suppress some emotion.

“This is the king’s order; we have no choice,” the first man said, lowering his voice, his tone filled with helplessness.

At the mention of her father, Aria’s heart skipped a beat, as if someone had grabbed it tightly. She quickly sat up and quietly walked to the window. The rain had stopped, and the lights of Sovereign Bastion flickered faintly in the darkness. She saw two figures in the distance, dragging a heavy bundle through the woods, slowly making their way toward a carriage.

“Shut up! If anyone hears us, we’re done for!” one of the men’s voices was filled with caution and barely concealed fear.

“This thing is a real pain, always jumping out and killing our horses,” the other voice grumbled, laced with fatigue and frustration.

“Of course, Boris’s horse,” the first man replied, his voice dropping lower until it was almost inaudible.

Aria gently pushed the window open, creating a faint creaking sound. She immediately pulled back, holding her breath as silence fell over the night once more.

After a moment, one of the men’s voices broke the silence again. “Stop being paranoid. Hawk left long ago.”

They began lifting the large bundle onto the carriage with some effort. Though they moved cautiously, the carriage still creaked under the weight. Just then, something unexpected happened—the heavy bundle had just touched the carriage bed when the horses suddenly became agitated, rearing up and nearly overturning the carriage.

A dark object tumbled out of the bundle, hitting the ground with a dull thud.

Aria’s heart pounded wildly. Through the crack in the window, she saw that the bundle contained a terrifying corpse. The shriveled black skin clung to twisted bones, and sharp teeth glinted ominously in the faint moonlight. It looked like a ghastly creature drained of blood, sending shivers down her spine.

“I touched it!” one man’s voice was filled with fear and trembling, as if he had just witnessed a scene from hell.

“It’s just a Night Ghoul’s corpse, no need to freak out,” the other man tried to calm his companion, though his voice held only a veneer of calm. “These creatures are common in the woods.”

They quickly rewrapped the corpse and hoisted it back onto the carriage, then drove away, the sound of hoofbeats gradually fading into the darkness.

Aria watched as the carriage disappeared into the night, a chill spreading through her heart. Even the fortified Sovereign Bastion couldn’t fully protect against all threats, deepening her concern for the town’s residents. Her heart raced, anxiety gnawing at her, making it impossible to fall back asleep.

She suddenly realized that this was the first time she hadn’t returned to the town at night, and Xander would always be waiting at the gate for her when she returned. Even though Oliver tried to keep him inside, he would occasionally sneak out. This thought made her even more uneasy—would Xander come out in the middle of the night to wait for her because she wasn’t there? The idea intensified her anxiety.

The rain had stopped, and faint dawn light was appearing over the distant ridge, signaling the arrival of morning. The night watchmen hadn’t yet gone to sleep, so Aria decided to return to the town immediately to inform Oliver and Xander of what she had witnessed. Taking a deep breath, she tried to steady her nerves, quickly threw on her cloak, and set off on the return journey. Her heart was filled with both fear of the unknown and deep concern for Xander’s safety.

Before leaving in haste, Aria made sure to water the small plant, ensuring it wouldn’t wither in her absence.

Despite the bright lights of the royal city, Shadowvale below remained shrouded in thick darkness. Aria tightened her cloak, quickening her pace as she headed towards the small town. On the deserted path, the cold wind howled like a blade, seeping through her collar with a bone-chilling bite. She couldn’t shake off a lingering sense of unease, as if some unseen threat was quietly closing in on her.

The feeling intensified as she entered Shadowvale. The sensation of being watched followed her like a shadow. The streets, under the cover of night, appeared unusually desolate. The emptiness and silence around her were broken only by the lonely sound of her footsteps echoing on the cobblestone road. As her pace quickened, so did her breathing, her heartbeat pounding like war drums in her ears. Each step felt like she was treading deeper into an abyss, with the shadows around her seemingly ready to spring to life.

Suddenly, a dark figure flashed before her eyes. Aria stopped abruptly, a chill crawling up her spine. She held her breath, straining to catch a glimpse of the fleeting shadow. The air around her grew heavy, as if even the wind had ceased to breathe.

A stray cat suddenly darted out from the darkness, its tail held high as it casually crossed the cobblestone road and disappeared into the night. Aria let out a sigh of relief, inwardly chiding herself for being so jumpy. But her momentary ease was short-lived. The rustling in the shadows resumed, unsettling her once more. Her eyes fixed on the darkness ahead, sensing something ominous brewing within it.

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A sharp yowl pierced the silence as the stray cat bolted away, terror evident in its movements. A rotting stench spread through the air, making her gag.

And then she saw them—a pair of glowing green eyes emerged from the darkness. Aria’s heart froze as she recognized the creature: a Night Ghoul. Its skin glistened eerily in the dark, like ghostly flames from the underworld. Its sharp fangs gleamed under the moonlight, mocking her helplessness. Fear surged over her like a tidal wave, paralyzing her in place, as if an invisible force had bound her.

The Night Ghoul suddenly let out a deafening roar, making her ears throb in pain. Instinctively, her body recoiled, her survival instinct kicking in. She knew she had to flee. The narrow alley before her seemed to close in, every step feeling like a struggle through quicksand. The harder she tried to move, the heavier her feet became.

The ghoul’s snarls echoed behind her, a call to death. Aria gritted her teeth and ran with all her might. The sound of her own footsteps and the ghoul's pursuit grew louder, closer. Her heart pounded wildly, her breath coming in frantic gasps, but she dared not stop. She knew that even a moment’s hesitation could lead to her downfall.

In the distance, she could make out the faint outline of Echo Tower. A flicker of hope ignited within her, but the sense of dread clung to her like a shroud. She pushed herself harder, nearly sprinting towards the tower.

But just as she was about to reach safety, an unseen force surged up from the ground, tripping her. She crashed to the ground, her vision blurring as darkness washed over her like a tidal wave. The Night Ghoul’s snarls seemed to come from the depths of hell, and she felt a sinister claw dragging her into an endless abyss. She struggled to resist, but her consciousness was slipping away...

In the final moments before she blacked out, a voice whispered in her ear—soft, yet brimming with power, as if coming from a distant world. She forced her eyes open, desperately searching for the source of the voice.

The eerie silence around her seemed to banish the Night Ghoul, and the shadows in the darkness retreated. A strange force enveloped her, filling her with a sense of calm she couldn't explain.

The sound of hoofbeats broke the stillness, resonating deep within her. Aria looked ahead into the darkness, and a figure began to emerge, like a phantom materializing from the shadows.

In the moonlight, she could see it was a knight cloaked in black. His cape billowed in the wind, like a shadow flitting through the night. His tall frame radiated an aura of invulnerability. His face was hidden beneath the hood, with only his deep-set eyes glinting like cold stars, unreadable and detached.

"Who are you?" His voice was low and raspy, sending a shiver down her spine, as if it had come from the depths of the underworld.

Aria’s throat tightened, almost rendering her speechless. She could feel the coldness and hostility emanating from him, her heart quivering with fear.

"I... I’m a messenger from Echo Tower," she managed to stammer, struggling to steady her voice, though it still trembled.

The knight said nothing, simply gazing at her with those piercing eyes, as if he could see through to her very soul, uncovering her every secret. The pressure in the air intensified, making it feel as though the entire world was under his control.

Suddenly, a gust of wind lifted his cloak, revealing his face. Aria nearly screamed—the face before her was covered in grotesque scars, a visage straight out of a nightmare. Deep, jagged scars ran from one eye down to his chin, like the mark of a demon.

"Are you lost? Perhaps I can help you," she offered, trying to maintain her composure, though her voice betrayed her fear. His presence filled her with a sense of dread, as though she had fallen into a trap in the darkest of nights.

“Aria,” he uttered her name softly, his voice laced with a chilling mockery.

“How do you know my name?” she asked, a tremor in her voice, a sense of foreboding creeping into her heart.

The corners of his mouth twitched into a cruel smile, the moonlight casting a sinister shadow on his face.

Aria stood frozen, like a small blade of grass caught in a storm, ready to be uprooted at any moment. Her eyes darted, searching for any sign of weakness in him. But then, the man abruptly turned, his black horse galloping away into the darkness, his cloak fluttering like a ghost fading into the abyss.

“Aria, is that you?” Oliver’s voice called out from the mist.

“Yes, it’s me,” she replied, her voice still quivering slightly, as the lingering fear and unease slowly ebbed away.

“Who was that?” Oliver asked as he approached, his tone filled with concern.

“I don’t know,” she said, staring in the direction the mysterious man had disappeared, a dull ache in her chest. “He knew my name. I shouldn’t have answered him.”

“He might have heard it from the townspeople. Everyone in Shadowvale knows who you are. But either way, I’m glad I came when I heard the commotion. That man looked dangerous,” Oliver said gravely.

Aria glanced nervously at the dark alley. She had no weapons, and that man could have easily killed her with a single hand.

Aria's legs felt like jelly as she walked into the Echo Chamber, a cold, creeping sensation running down her spine as if icy insects were crawling along her back. Her hands still trembled, her fingers clutching the edge of her cloak tightly. The moment Oliver saw her expression, he bolted the door, his eyes scanning the hallway nervously, fearing that the mysterious man might burst in and steal their secrets. The door emitted a low, ominous click that echoed through the quiet loft, adding to the eerie atmosphere.

“Are you okay?” Oliver asked with concern, his gaze lingering on her face before flicking anxiously toward the stairs. He had never seen Aria so shaken.

Aria didn’t answer right away. She walked over to the stairs and sat down heavily. Covering her face with her hands, she felt utterly drained, as if something had hollowed her out from the inside. She forced herself to steady her breathing until she was sure her voice wouldn’t tremble, then she looked up slowly and began to speak. “Oliver, there's something I need to tell you… Night Ghouls aren’t just legends.”

“Night Ghouls?” Oliver frowned, clearly not understanding.

Aria gave him a steady look, lowering her voice as she continued, “I just saw them in the woods, not more than a few dozen steps away. Those men… they were hauling the corpse of a Night Ghoul. This isn’t just any monster; they’re terrifyingly powerful and far more intelligent than we’ve ever imagined.” Her voice wavered slightly from the tension. “We have to be careful, especially after dark. Tell all the couriers to get home before nightfall. And make sure you lock Xander’s door when night comes.”

Oliver nodded quickly, jotting down her instructions, but then hesitated as if there was something else he wanted to say but was unsure how to begin.

“Oliver, what else?” Aria asked sharply, her eyes locking onto his.

Oliver took a deep breath before he finally spoke. “Aria, I need to tell you… Xander wasn’t himself today. He… something’s wrong,” he said, tapping his temple with a worried frown. “He’s been drawing things that scared everyone, and no one could get him to stop.”

Aria’s heart leapt into her throat. Despite bracing herself for the worst, she was still unprepared for the sight that greeted her when she pushed open the door. The room’s walls were covered in chaotic, twisted drawings, as if created by frantic hands. The images were rough and smeared, some even stained with blood and dirt mixed into the paint. But what made Aria’s blood run cold was that every single drawing depicted the same thing—a Night Ghoul.

Oliver couldn’t make sense of the drawings, seeing only a jumble of monstrous shapes. But Aria recognized them immediately, her heart sinking. She had just witnessed the horror of a Night Ghoul, its grotesque face and sharp teeth still vividly etched in her mind.

Aria crouched down to Xander’s level, her voice gentle but firm as she asked, “Xander, tell me, why do you keep drawing these? Have you seen a Night Ghoul? Did it… hurt you?” She tried to keep her voice calm, though her heart was racing. “You don’t have to speak if you don’t want to. Just nod if it’s true.”

Xander’s eyes were wide, filled with terror and confusion. He stared at Aria, his gaze locked on hers as if he were seeing some horrific apparition. The silence between them stretched, the air thick with tension. Then suddenly, Xander’s mouth opened, and he let out a piercing scream, a sound so shrill and desperate it seemed to come from the depths of hell.

Aria instinctively covered her ears, the scream cutting through her like a knife, threatening to tear her soul apart. Her mind went blank, save for one terrifying thought: My brother has gone mad.

Even though Xander’s scream had become a nightly torment that jolted Aria awake from her nightmares, she clung desperately to the small comfort that at least his vocal cords were still intact. It was the only solace she had left, however faint and fragile it might be.