A small village, drowned in the quiet of night.Houses stood close together, built of clay and wood, their windows dimly lit by faint lamps.Thin smoke rose from some chimneys, and soft sounds leaked from within—family chatter, a broken laugh, or the creak of a door closing.The main road was nearly empty, disturbed only by a cold breeze that stirred the dust gently.
At the edge of the village…
Three carts appeared, moving slowly along the dirt road.Their wheels made a faint grinding sound, and the horses walked at a steady pace.
Men sat atop the carts, dressed in travel clothes… but they were not silent.Their laughter was clear.
One of them leaned forward and said mockingly:"Will their faces be like the ones before them?"
Another burst out laughing:"Hahaha… will the reaction be the same?"
They exchanged glances, sly smiles forming across their faces.
The carts stopped just before the village entrance.The men climbed down one by one.
No shouting.No rush.Just quiet footsteps.
Instead of heading toward the center of the village…They spread out.Each one took a different alley, disappearing between the houses.
Moments later…
The knocking began.
Knock… knock…
A wooden door opened slowly.A man stood behind it, his features weary, staring in confusion at the stranger before him.
The mercenary stepped closer.And whispered in a low, cold voice:"Leave the village now."
The man froze.
"Take nothing… except yourselves and your children."
The man frowned, not understanding."What—?"
But the mercenary didn't raise his voice.He simply tilted his head toward the inside."Look through the window… at the other houses."
The man hesitated… then looked.
In the darkness, he saw the same thing repeating.Men standing before every door.The same knocks.The same whispers.
He slowly turned his gaze back.His face stiffened.
The mercenary stepped closer, his voice barely audible:"You are all under threat."
A second of silence.
Then he continued:"If anyone remains… after sunrise—"
He paused briefly.His eyes didn't waver.
"We will kill everyone in the house."
In the village alleys…
The same scene repeated.
A door opened…A whisper spoken…And expressions shifting from confusion… to silent fear.
No one screamed.No one attacked.Only a heavy silence began to spread.
As if the entire village… had held its breath at once.
Slowly…
The village began to move.
One door opened… then another… then another.
Families stepped out in silence.A mother clutching her child to her chest, wrapping them in cloth, trying to calm them without making a sound.A man pulling a small cart, its wheels creaking softly along the dirt road.An old man leaning on his cane, his steps heavy and hesitant, glancing back from time to time.
No one spoke loudly.No one dared object.Just a silent departure under watchful eyes.
The mercenaries stood in the alleys and at the edges.They didn't block anyone.They didn't help anyone.They simply… watched.
One of them looked at the departing families, then turned to his leader and said bluntly:"Why don't we just kill them? It would be faster."
The leader didn't respond immediately.He was watching the line of people stretching out of the village.
Then he said calmly:"Fear… travels faster than corpses."
A brief silence.
But the sentence alone was enough.
As time passed…
The alleys began to empty.Houses were left open.Lamps went out one by one.
Until the village turned into an empty shell.
At the edge of the road…
The mercenaries gathered.
The leader stood before them, looked at the path the villagers had taken, then said:"The villages along this road… must all be emptied."
The men exchanged glances.
He continued:"They'll flee toward the cities."
He pointed toward the distance.
"And when they arrive…""The cities will be filled with them."
He took a slow breath.
"The chaos will begin before we even get there."
Then he said the final line clearly:"And that… will be before Orvallis's army arrives."
Silence followed.
But the meaning was clear.
The goal wasn't just to seize the land…
It was to break its balance before the battle even began.
Deep within the forest…
A large camp spread between dense trees.Tents aligned, fires burning, and knights moving silently from one position to another.
A heavy quiet… but organized.
Suddenly, the stillness was cut by the sound of hurried footsteps.A knight rushed between the tents, his breathing uneven, until he reached the largest tent at the center.
He pushed the flap aside and entered.
Inside, the commander stood before a wooden table, his eyes fixed on a spread-out map.
The knight approached quickly… and bowed slightly.Then whispered:
"Ghrebia has fallen…"
He paused to catch his breath.
"It fell to the White Knives squad… it is currently in a state of destruction."
Silence filled the tent for a few seconds.
The commander didn't move at first.
Then… a faint smile formed on his lips.He lifted his gaze from the map.
And said in a measured calm tone:"Then… the second phase begins."
He turned slightly and called out in a low but firm voice:"Send the third unit… and add ten thousand knights to Ghrebia… to secure it."
One of the knights moved to record the orders.
But the commander continued immediately:"And the fifth unit…"
He pointed with his finger to a road drawn on the map.
"To the road to Asu… make sure the evacuation plan proceeds as intended."
"Understood."
The knight left quickly to carry out the orders.
The commander remained alone for a moment.He slowly raised his gaze toward the ceiling of the tent, as if thinking aloud.
Then whispered:"The White Knives squad…"
His smile widened slightly.
"They bring down an entire city… through chaos."
Along the road… where fresh footprints were still marked in the dirt,and where the whispers of fleeing families had faded into the depth of the night…
The village stood.
Still… unnaturally so.
Doors were left open, swaying slowly with the wind.Windows creaked faintly, as if the houses themselves were trying to speak… but found no one to listen.
No light.No sound.Only emptiness.
At its edges, the mercenaries prepared to leave.
The leader cast one last glance at the empty houses.He studied the deserted streets… then said quietly:"When their army arrives… they will find empty land."
He turned away.
And the men began to move, leaving behind a village without a soul.
Elsewhere…
And as dawn approached…
Leon's unit arrived at another village.
Their steps were cautious.Their eyes scanned every corner.
But they found no resistance.No guards.No one… at all.
Doors stood open.Belongings remained in place.The fires in the hearths had gone out only recently.
One of the soldiers stepped forward slowly, whispering:"Commander…"
He looked around once more.
"There's no one here."
A heavy silence fell over the place.
The soldiers' eyes began to exchange unease.
This wasn't normal.
It wasn't just one village…Nor an isolated incident.
There was a pattern.
And upon realizing that…
The mystery didn't fade—It only became more terrifying.