"At least it's just your nephew," interjected a gaunt man at the next table, his fingers nervously tapping on the clay cup. "The jeweler next door, his whole family is gone, not even the guard dog is left."
Ian tore open his bread slowly, his ears catching every bit of conversation. The disappearances had clearly incited panic among the townsfolk, yet strangely, no one openly discussed the Temple or the Gods. It was like the whole city had come to some unspoken agreement.
Pretending everything was normal, only exchanging fearful glances in secret or confiding in friends in such whispered, secretive gatherings.
As the owner brought over the river fish soup, Ian casually inquired, "Not much peace in the city lately?"
The one-eyed owner's muscles visibly tensed.
He set down the clay bowl with a heavier thud than usual.
"Foreigner," he rasped, "the less you know about some things, the better you'll sleep."
It was much like what the residents said yesterday; indeed, when facing a stranger like Ian, no one dared to reveal their true feelings.
Perhaps they feared Ian was a spy for the Temple.
Just as Ian considered probing further, the restaurant door was abruptly flung open. A freckled young boy burst in, breathlessly shouting, "Found it! A body was found by the river!"
The restaurant instantly went silent. Everyone's movements froze, even their breathing became audibly perceptible.
"Is... is it intact?" a woman in a green headscarf asked, trembling.
The boy nodded, his eyes wide with excitement. "It's the servant girl of the spice merchant! She was lying in the reeds, looked like she was asleep, but..." he lowered his voice, "but her eyes were gone, and her sockets were filled with golden sand!"
His words hit the calm waters like a stone. The restaurant erupted immediately, some drew protective talismans in fear, others stood up to pay their bills, while a few gathered around the boy to ask for more details.
"The servant from last night, stepped out for some reason and then disappeared. But this morning, they found her body near the abandoned well on the west of town!"
"A body?" a young woman gasped, "Weren't the previous ones missing without a trace, neither alive nor dead? How come this time..."
"Indeed," an old woman nodded, "this is the first body found. It's said... she died horribly, with strange marks on her, like she'd been clawed by some beast, yet not an ordinary beast. Even stranger, on her face..." she paused, lowered her voice even more, "it's said she died with a smile on her face—a creepy smile, as if... she saw something blissful in a dream, which is why her eyes were replaced with golden sand."
The expressions of the listeners tightened abruptly; some nearly crushed the bread in their hands. Their hearts raced, blood seemingly boiling in an instant. A servant's body? Found? And in such an eerie state? With an eerie smile?
This was completely different from previous disappearances.
Previously, the disappeared seemed to be erased entirely, leaving not a single trace. But this time, a body appeared, with such unique features. What does it signify? A change in the killer's behavior? Or could it be a different killer altogether? Or perhaps the appearance of this body is a signal of some sort?
Whatever it was, the residents didn't see it as a good omen. After all, before, as long as they stayed indoors at night, they were safe. But who knew if the killer's methods might change, if people might start disappearing from their own homes?
"Golden sand?"
Ian's spoon paused in mid-air.
Hearing the gossip, he quickly finished his soup, left a few copper coins on the table, and followed the curious crowd toward the riverbank.
As a Wizard.
Ian was also curious about how a body losing its essence could appear.