From the edge of the bloodstained road, the old carriage driver stirred. He had been thrown into the dirt during the chaos, and only now did his weary eyes flutter open. His body trembled as he pushed himself up on shaky arms, coughing against the dust.
When his gaze lifted, the scene before him froze the breath in his chest.
The once-quiet barren path was now a graveyard of broken bodies. Bandits lay sprawled in pieces, lifeless eyes staring at nothing, their blood soaking into the earth. The metallic scent clung to the air, thick and suffocating.
The old man's lips parted in horror. "Hhhhhhaaaa... what in gods name!!..." His voice cracked, no louder than a whisper. His heart raced as he stumbled back a step, afraid he might collapse again.
Then his eyes found them.
