The party sat in the large stone house, the walls around them inscribed with faint symbols similar to those they had encountered in the tunnels. The dim light of the luminous plants filtered through the cracks, casting long shadows on the floor.
There was silence at first, then Taeko began to whisper, stretching his weary arms:
"I can't believe it... These creatures don't look like monsters at all. They have children, homes... even their food looks normal."
Hairu Shin added excitedly, scanning the place with his eyes:
"It's like we've entered a secret village... Who knows, maybe they have stories and legends about the same monsters we're facing."
Hana, however, seemed more cautious. Staring at the symbols on the wall, she said:
"The language they're writing in is similar to the inscriptions we saw in the ruined city... I think they have something to do with the history of this place."
Saya, who was sitting next to her, nodded in agreement and added, "True, but what puzzles me is how they can live here in peace when everything around us is filled with death."
Tsuki's eyes flicked up to Kaito, who had remained silent the entire time.
"Kaito... does this place remind you of something?"
But Kaito remained staring at the ground, his fingers subconsciously brushing away the scars that had appeared on his skin from the previous fight.
After a moment of silence, he said quietly, "...maybe. But the closer I get to the truth, the more I feel I don't want to remember it."
There was silence for a moment, until Minamoto's harsh voice broke it:
"Running away from memory won't change anything. Sooner or later, the truth will swallow you up."
Everyone exchanged glances, the tension suddenly rising... before the old man's footsteps were heard returning from outside.
Taiko raised his voice to break the silence:
"At least... let's start asking the right questions."
Everyone sat in the large house, the strange drink glistening in the stone cups. The steam rising from it gave off a strange scent, between grass and earth.
No one dared taste it except Taiko and Hairu Shin, who exchanged defiant glances before smiling confidently.
The creature raised his head, his pale blue eyes shining under the natural light of the luminous plants.
"I am Kurul... the leader of the Kinim tribe, or rather, what's left of it."
He pointed at the old woman sitting next to him.
"This is my wife. As for the little one... he's not my son, but a child I raised after losing his parents. His name is Lian."
Kurul smiled a sad smile, then bowed his head slightly.
"I apologize for scaring you... and thank you for driving those creatures from the borders of our village."
"No thanks," Taiko replied, wiping the drink from his mouth with a broad smile. "We're used to such things."
Haeru Shin laughed lightly, waving his cup.
But the rest of the team remained silent, wary of the conversation and the setting.
Korole took a deep breath and said in a calm voice,
"I know you have a lot of questions... and as a thank you, you're welcome to ask anything you want. I'll answer as best I can."
There was a brief silence before Saya spoke up, staring into his eyes.
"Why are you different from those monsters who attacked us? You're more like humans than they are."
Korole leaned forward slightly, a sad look crossing his face.
"Because we were... once, closer to you than you think."
The sentence alone made Hana gasp softly, while Tsuki gripped her spear as if preparing to hear something she didn't want to hear.
Kaito watched silently, his eyes reflecting in the glow of the lights as if searching for a truth he already knew.
End of chapter.