1. The Broken Hearth
As dawn crept over Grey Hollow, Alex and his companions split up to better understand the village's plight. Lira offered her healing skills at the makeshift infirmary, while Kaelen patrolled the outer fields, wary of both monsters and men. Toma, ever curious, drifted toward the children playing in the muddy lanes.
Inside the communal hall, Alex found himself surrounded by villagers tending to a thin stew. The air was thick with tension; conversations stopped when he entered, and eyes darted away.
Old Marlen, the village blacksmith, was the first to break the silence. His hands were burned and scarred, his voice gruff. "You're with the outsiders. Come to judge us, have you?"
Alex shook his head. "I came to listen. And to help, if you'll let me."
Marlen snorted. "Help? Help left with the last harvest. Now we have only fear and ashes."
A young woman, Elsbet, stirred the pot. Her husband had vanished weeks ago, taken by the Ashen Knight for "questioning." She looked at Alex, her eyes hollow. "We used to sing at dawn. Now we pray he doesn't come for us next."
2. Secrets and Blame
Later, as Alex walked the village, he overheard whispers behind closed doors.
"They say Ysolde made a pact with the knight to save her own kin," muttered one voice.
"She's no better than the rest of us," another replied. "We all gave him something—food, tools, names. What choice did we have?"
In the shadow of the old well, Toma found a group of children playing a grim game: one child, wearing a bucket as a helm, chased the others, shouting, "Tribute! Tribute for the Ashen Knight!" The laughter was brittle, edged with fear.
A girl named Mira (not to be confused with Alice's lieutenant), tugged at Toma's sleeve. "My brother ran away last week. He said he'd rather face the woods than the knight. Mama cries every night."
Toma's heart ached. "Do you want me to help look for him?"
She nodded, hope flickering in her eyes for the first time in days.
3. The Weight of Guilt
In the evening, Mother Ysolde gathered the adults in the hall. Alex was invited to listen, but not to speak.
"We must decide," Ysolde said, voice trembling, "what we offer the knight tonight. If we refuse, he will punish us all."
Marlen slammed his fist on the table. "We can't keep feeding his madness! We're starving, Ysolde!"
Elsbet's voice broke. "If we defy him, he'll take the children. He always does."
A murmur of agreement rippled through the room. Some wept quietly; others stared at their hands, ashamed.
Ysolde looked older than ever. "I have failed you all. But I will not let another child be taken. If tribute must be given, let it be me."
A stunned silence followed. For a moment, the villagers seemed united—not by hope, but by shared despair.
4. A Flicker of Hope
Outside, Toma returned with Mira and the other children, having found the missing boy hiding in a hayloft. The villagers gathered, relief mingling with guilt. For a brief moment, there was laughter—real laughter, the sound of life refusing to be snuffed out.
Alex watched from the shadows, feeling both pride and sorrow. He saw how the village clung to small mercies, how even a single act of kindness could light a candle in the dark.
He resolved then: whatever the cost, Grey Hollow would not be abandoned. Not by him. Not by anyone who still remembered what it meant to hope.