That day was as unremarkable and bland as any other. The sun rose and set as it always did, and people went about their lives without a care, blissfully unaware of how easily everything could change.
Night came as expected and the streets were gradually blanketed in darkness. Lamps flickered to life behind shuttered windows.
The first scream came from the far end of the street. It tore through the quiet like a blade, a warning no one understood until it was far too late. A few windows creaked open as people curiously leaned out into the night, searching for the source of such terror.
There were still some who lingered outside. Only a week ago, most of the residents would not have dared to remain in the streets after dusk, when the threat of being snatched away had loomed over them like a curse. That fear had faded after Ragnar returned the missing people. But what they did not know was that something far deadlier now moved through the dark.
