Here's the translation of the text into US English:
The wind whistled through the trees of the Veridian Forest, carrying dry leaves and a chill unusual for the time of year. A group of five adventurers advanced cautiously, their steps stealthy on the carpet of leaves. They were members of the local branch of the East City Adventurer's Guild, sent to investigate the disappearance of two teams in the vicinity; the first, while investigating abnormal goblin activity, and the second, sent to explore the surrounding forests after no news of the first.
"Two groups," muttered a burly woman, the leader of the group, as she surveyed the terrain. "And not a trace of them, not a broken piece of armor, not a sword, nothing, only..."
"Only those remains," completed a thin, nervous man, pointing with the tip of his short sword to the charred remains of what were once shadow bats. "And not even preserved in the normal way, they're like... crystallized."
The group was in the clearing where the second group of adventurers had had their last and fatal encounter with the dungeon's defenses. The remains of the bats, strangely preserved in a state that was not natural, were the only clue they had. And the leader of the group, a veteran of countless missions, felt a chill run down her spine, a sharp sensation that death lurked in every shadow, in every rustle of leaves, in every whisper of the wind.
"I've seen burn and acid wounds before, even the result of dark magic," commented a robust man with a scar across his cheek, "but this... this is different."
A young woman, the most inexperienced of the group, shuddered. "It feels like... like something absorbed all the life from this place."
The leader nodded, her dark eyes scanning the surrounding forest. "There's a strange energy here. Something unnatural. But there are no traces of conventional magic, no traps, no known creatures." The sense of impending danger intensified with each passing second, like an invisible claw tightening around her throat.
"Do you think the goblins could be involved?" asked the thin man, looking suspiciously towards the mountains to the north. "Maybe they have a new type of weapon, or a more powerful shaman."
"I doubt it," replied the leader, trying to hide the tremor in her voice. "This doesn't match their modus operandi. Besides, the first group disappeared while investigating the goblins precisely. And there are no signs of a struggle. No bodies, no weapons, no equipment. It's like... they vanished." She closed her eyes for an instant, trying to push away the image of a young girl with green hair and golden eyes that materialized in her mind, an image she didn't know if it was real or a product of her imagination, but that filled her with an inexplicable terror.
The group remained silent, each lost in their own thoughts. Uncertainty was a heavier weight than any armor.
"Let's search the area one more time," the leader finally ordered, her voice hoarse with tension. "Look for anything we might have overlooked. Tracks, strange objects, anything out of the ordinary. And stay alert. Whatever happened here, it might still be close." The feeling that something terrible was about to happen intensified, pressing down on her chest like a slab of stone.
The group dispersed, searching the clearing and the surrounding area meticulously. But the search was fruitless. They found nothing more than the strange remains of the bats, which seemed to mock them with their macabre stillness, and the unsettling feeling that something unnatural had occurred there.
Meanwhile, at the headquarters of the Adventurer's Guild in Aethoria, Lord Cedric Veylan observed a map spread out on his desk. Red marks indicated the places where anomalous activity had been reported in recent weeks. Two red dots blinked in the Veridian Forest, one marking the area where goblin activity was being investigated, and the other, further south, where the second group of adventurers had disappeared.
Eldrin, his secretary, entered the office with hurried steps, a parchment in his hand. "Sir," he said in an agitated voice, "I just received a report from the East City branch. Two groups of adventurers have disappeared in the Veridian Forest. The first was investigating goblin activity, the second was sent to explore after no news of the first."
Cedric remained silent, his gray eyes fixed on the two red dots on the map. "Two groups," he murmured, "in the same area. And without a trace."
"That's right, sir," confirmed Eldrin. "The scouts they sent for a preliminary search only found this." He placed on the table a small glass vial containing the charred remains of a shadow bat. "They say the condition of the remains is... unusual. It seems that the very life energy was drained from them, and the death was not caused by weapons, fangs, claws, burns, poison, or magic, it's as if something consumed them from the inside."
Cedric took the vial and examined it carefully. "Unusual, you say," he repeated, as he twirled it between his fingers. "Interesting." A chill ran down his spine, a premonition he couldn't ignore. The last time he had seen something similar was during... The Catastrophe. He shook his head, dismissing that thought. It couldn't be. Not again.
"What is known about the goblins?" he asked, returning his attention to the map.
"Nothing new, sir," replied Eldrin. "Reports indicate an increase in their activity, but nothing out of the ordinary. Small raids, livestock theft... the usual."
"And the second group?"
"Nothing, sir. They disappeared without a trace. The scouts found no signs of a struggle, no camp, no... nothing."
Cedric remained thoughtful, drumming his fingers on the map. "Two groups disappeared in the same area," he repeated, "and only these strange remains as a clue. This is not the work of goblins. Nor of any known creature."
"What do you think happened, sir?" asked Eldrin.
Cedric got up and walked to the window, observing the bustling city. "I don't know, Eldrin. But I fear this is only the beginning. Something is moving in the shadows, something powerful and unknown. And I worry that Eldoria is not prepared for what is coming."
"Do you think we should inform the King, sir?"
"No, not yet," replied Cedric, with a calculating smile. "First, we will gather more information. And then, we will see how we can use this situation to our advantage. After all, a crisis is an excellent opportunity for those who know how to take advantage of it."
Back in the forest, the leader of the investigation group sighed with frustration. "There's nothing more here," she said. "Let's return to the city and inform the Guild. Maybe they can make sense of all this." The idea of leaving that place filled her with an indescribable relief. It was as if an invisible hand had been suffocating her the whole time, and only now, when deciding to leave, had the pressure eased.
The group nodded, relieved to leave that unsettling place. As they walked away, the young woman of the group looked back one last time. For an instant, she thought she saw a shadow move among the trees, a shadow that did not correspond to anything she had seen before.
"What's wrong?" asked the thin man, noticing her gaze.
"Nothing," she replied, shaking her head. "Just... a strange feeling."
The group continued on their way, leaving behind the clearing and the inexplicable feeling of emptiness that permeated it.
Unbeknownst to them, a slender figure with purple skin materialized in the shadows of the forest, right where the young woman had thought she saw something. It was Kaili, the Plague Throne Harbinger, her six membranous wings folded against her back and an expression of cold satisfaction on her face. She had manipulated the scene with meticulous care, altering the residual energy of the shadow bats to create a false clue, an anomaly strange enough to attract the attention of the Adventurer's Guild, but without revealing the true nature of what lurked in the dungeon.
"Let the game begin," she whispered in a voice that was both soft and lethal, with a marked accent that denoted superiority. Her dark eyes, in which sparks of power gleamed, watched the group of adventurers walk away. She had felt the leader's sharp premonition, that sense of impending death. A cruel smile formed on her lips. "It seems that some humans are more perceptive than others."
With an elegant movement, Kaili vanished into the shadows, as silent as death itself, leaving the forest plunged into an even deeper silence, a silence charged with anticipation and an invisible threat that loomed over Eldoria.
In the main chamber of the dungeon, Aurora felt a slight disturbance in the energy, a fluctuation that indicated that Kaili's plan was underway. A small, almost imperceptible smile formed on her lips. She liked the idea of the outside world beginning to notice her presence, even if indirectly.
"What's wrong, Aurora?" asked Sebastian, approaching her. He had noticed the change in the atmosphere of the dungeon, but couldn't decipher its origin.
"Nothing of importance, Sebastian," she replied, sweetly. "Just some little insects that have dared to get too close to our home. Kaili is taking care of them."
Sebastian looked into her eyes, and for an instant, he saw a flash of the old innocence he so cherished. But he also saw something else, something more mature and confident, something that reminded him that the girl he knew had grown and transformed into something much more powerful.
"I understand," he murmured, looking away. Although the idea of more deaths disturbed him, he trusted Aurora's judgment. After all, she had proven to be much more capable than he had imagined.
While Kaili took care of her manipulations on the outside, Aurora took Sebastian's hand and guided him towards the garden he had been cultivating so diligently. "Come, Sebastian," she said with a radiant smile. "I want to show you something."
Together, they sat on the soft grass, surrounded by the glow of the magical flowers. Aurora took a small flower between her fingers and caressed it tenderly. "Thank you for taking care of this place, Sebastian," she said sincerely. "You've turned it into a true refuge."
Sebastian blushed slightly, touched by her words. "I only do what I can, Aurora," he replied humbly. "You're the one who has brought true magic to this place."
Aurora gave him a radiant smile. "Together," she corrected, "we have created something special. And I'm sure we will continue to do great things."
At that moment, a special glow lit up Aurora's eyes. With a gentle movement of her hand, she made one of the flowers near Sebastian bloom suddenly, revealing intense blue petals that shimmered with an inner light.
"For you," said Aurora, offering the flower to Sebastian. "A small gift."
Sebastian took the flower delicately, admiring its beauty. "It's beautiful, Aurora," he said in amazement. "Thank you."
A comfortable silence settled between them, a silence filled with affection and understanding. Although the threat of the outside world loomed over them, at that instant, in the safety of the dungeon, surrounded by the magic and beauty they had created together, they felt at peace. The special connection that existed between the Demon Queen and the simple botanist shone brighter than ever, like a beacon of hope in the midst of the growing darkness.