Rei awoke before dawn, the chill of the cave biting at his fingers. The fire they'd managed to build had burned low, embers barely glowing. He turned his head toward the entrance. Rika still sat there, cloaked in the soft blue of early morning, her yellow eyes alert and distant.
"You didn't wake anyone for watch," he said, voice groggy.
"I wasn't tired," she replied, though her posture betrayed a subtle stiffness.
Rei sat up, pulling his cloak tighter. "You're always on guard, huh."
She gave him a sideways glance, a small smirk playing at her lips. "Someone has to be."
A soft grunt came from deeper in the cave. Kajala rolled over, blanket tangled around his leg, a faint snore escaping his mouth. His ears twitched once before settling.
Rika's gaze lingered on him. "You know he talks in his sleep?"
"Oh?" Rei asked, almost amused.
She nodded. "Mostly nonsense. Something about soup once. Then about cheese. Then... 'you can't take my tail, it's a family heirloom.'"
Rei actually laughed, quietly. "Sounds like him."
She chuckled, too, but the sound faded quickly. "It's funny… how fast things change. One second we're sneaking into a dungeon, the next we're almost dying to a monster no one should've ever woken up."
Rei looked at her. "You think we woke him up?"
"I think something did," she murmured. "And if he's tied to you… you might be the key to putting him back down."
He frowned. "Great. No pressure."
Movement stirred behind them as the others began to wake. Kajala sat up with a yawn, rubbing his eyes. "Is it breakfast time or trauma hour again?"
"Both," Eryan muttered from her corner, sitting up with a stretch.
Regulus was already on his feet, checking the edge of his axe for chips. "We should head out soon. If that thing survived, it might come looking."
Kajala flopped dramatically onto his back. "Can we not get chased again today? I'm still recovering from yesterday's cardio."
Eryan tossed him a chunk of dried meat. "Eat and move."
As the group packed up and readied to travel, Kajala approached Rei, whip looped at his hip. "You know… I've been thinking."
"Oh no," Rei said flatly.
Kajala ignored the jab. "If this guy really is haunting your dreams, maybe you're like… spiritually connected or something. Like soul twins. Or cursed pen pals."
Rei blinked. "That's not helpful."
"But cool, right?" Kajala grinned. "I mean, not for you, obviously. But from a storytelling perspective? Peak drama."
Rei rolled his eyes. "Thanks for the emotional support."
They emerged from the cave into the misty forest, sunlight breaking through in faint slivers. The world felt quieter now, like it was holding its breath.
As they made their way back toward the nearest trail, Regulus fell into step beside Rei. "You sure you're okay?"
Rei hesitated. "No. But I'm not broken either."
Regulus gave a grunt of approval. "That's enough for now."
Behind them, Rika and Kajala were bickering about who had to carry the cooking gear.
"I brought food," Kajala argued. "Rika carries pots."
"I disarmed three traps yesterday," Rika shot back. "You tripped over one."
"Strategic tripping! I was testing it!"
Eryan sighed and muttered, "Children."
Still, as they walked deeper into the woods, the weight of dread hadn't vanished. It just lingered quietly, like a shadow at the edge of their path. And Rei couldn't shake the sense that this was only the beginning.
That somewhere, beneath rock and rot, the Rotten Knight waited—not dead, not buried.
Just patient.The morning after was quiet—too quiet. Even the birds refused to sing.
They moved through the mist-choked woods, half-expecting the Rotten Knight to rise from the ground beneath their feet. But nothing came. Just eerie silence, and the crunch of leaves under cautious steps.
"We should be past the ruins," Regulus muttered, peering through the fog. "But this terrain... it's not on any map I've seen."
"Feels like we're walking in circles," Rika added, ears twitching.
Kajala twirled his whip idly. "Maybe the dungeon changed again. Rearranged. You know, like a really moody house."
Then, through the thinning fog, something emerged—broken rooftops and vine-covered homes, scattered in a clearing like forgotten bones. An old village, left behind by time.
"Whoa," Kajala said, squinting. "That's... not creepy at all."
Rei stepped ahead of the others, staring. The houses were worn but intact, their windows like hollow eyes. A weather-warped sign creaked on its hinges, written in a language none of them recognized.
"No smoke, no lights," Eryan said cautiously. "But someone used to live here."
They approached slowly, weapons in hand. Crows scattered from the rooftops. The village was deathly still.
Inside one of the homes, they found dusty furniture, half-eaten plates of food turned to stone, and clothes still hanging from the walls—as if people had just vanished mid-life.
"This isn't normal," Rika whispered. "No scorch marks, no signs of battle. Just... stopped."
Kajala nudged a fallen tea cup. "What if this village is the trap?"
Rei didn't answer. He was staring at a cracked mirror on the wall. His reflection blinked a second too late.
"I think we should stay," he said, voice distant. "Just for a night."
Eryan hesitated, then nodded. "We'll sweep the area. One house for base. Everyone together."
They chose the sturdiest-looking home and set up camp inside. As dusk fell, the village grew colder, like the sun refused to warm it.
That night, Rei dreamed again—only this time, he was in the village.
And something was waiting in the well.