The charred ground haunted Kieran's thoughts long after they left the clearing. He couldn't shake the feeling that the mark was connected to the stranger from the tavern. The way Rag had reacted—the way the air had felt thick and unnatural—set his nerves on edge.
Back at the farm, Mira tried to brush it off. "Probably just some leftover magic from one of the old wards. My father used to say the forest is full of weird places."
Kieran frowned, wiping sweat from his brow. "Maybe. But I've never seen anything like that before."
Jace, still a little shaken, chimed in. "I'll ask old man Bram if he knows anything. He's been around long enough to have seen some weird stuff."
Kieran nodded, though his mind remained restless. After finishing the coop repairs, he made his way back to his small cottage on the edge of the village. Rag trotted along beside him, still alert, ears flicking at every sound.
As the sun dipped low, casting the village in a warm glow, Kieran couldn't help but glance toward the forest's edge. Something was out there—something dangerous. He resolved to keep his sword within reach that night.
The evening passed quietly until a knock on his door jolted him upright. Rag growled low, and Kieran reached for his blade before cracking the door open. It was Jace, face pale and eyes wide.
"They found something else," Jace blurted. "Near the old mill."
Without a word, Kieran slung his sword over his shoulder and followed Jace through the winding village paths. A small crowd had gathered at the mill, murmuring anxiously. Mira spotted them and waved them over.
"It's worse than before," she whispered as they approached. "Look."
Carved into the wooden side of the mill was the same deep slash, but this time it was surrounded by strange symbols scorched into the wood. The air was suffocating, and Rag refused to go near it, hackles raised.
"What's it mean?" Jace whispered, voice trembling.
Kieran gritted his teeth. "It means whatever did this is getting bolder. And it's not just passing through anymore—it's marking territory."
A chill crept down his spine as he scanned the faces in the crowd. Fear was settling in, and Kieran knew they couldn't afford to ignore it any longer. Something dark was lurking on the edge of their quiet lives, and it wouldn't stop until it made itself known.