Lucian and Kiyoshi arrive at an abandoned village, located on the other side of the city, next to Eldorinna.
Ironically, this forgotten village, now known as the "Forgotten Land," which many avoid mentioning, is the destination where Lucian intends to investigate a case involving inexplicable events.
The cart sways slowly over the uneven ground. The road, lined with vast and silent fields, is covered in dust, as if no one had passed through there in a long time.
The melancholic gray sky, dense and oppressive, seems to submerge the world in an eternal twilight. The thick clouds swallow the sunlight, leaving the atmosphere with a nearly sickly hue.
As they approach what seems to be the only entrance to the surrounding villages and towns, the two observe in silence.
Before that, Lucian, with a bird perched on his fingers, ties a note to it.
The bird flies away.
On the side of the road, wheat fields, once vibrant, are now a desert of withered stalks, leaning as if defeated by time. The air carries a bitter smell of stagnant earth and burnt leaves.
Lucian observes the houses from a distance—wooden structures darkened and faded by the passing years and neglect. They rise like specters, witnesses of a time that no longer exists.
Some thin, apathetic animals wander about, moving slowly as if they were part of the ghostly scenery.
Kiyoshi, with an ironic smile, breaks the heavy silence:
"Well, who would have thought the 'sacred land' would be so... welcoming."
Lucian gives a faint smile but quickly returns to his thoughts.
"This place is marked by absence. It's not just the land that's barren."
As they continue down the road, the cart approaches a smaller, nameless village. Like many other villages across the continent, its sole purpose seems to have been trade, but now it is submerged in abandonment.
"It seems like a cluster of villages surrounds this small one," Lucian analyzes the scene for a moment.
The narrow, cracked road guides them to a desolate scene. Houses with collapsed roofs and crumbling walls are nearly buried beneath piles of rubble.
The air is heavy, laden with an uncomfortable silence. Only the sound of the wind rustling through dry leaves breaks the stillness.
Next to the buildings, broken angel statues draw attention. Some lie on the ground, their wings shattered, scattered like shards of a broken mirror. Their expressions, once serene, now appear distorted, almost grotesque, shaped by erosion and time.
Kiyoshi fixes his gaze on one of the statues. An angel with broken wings and hands raised in supplication seems to stare into the void.
"Fallen angels. Nothing better to greet us. If this isn't a sign we should be somewhere else, I don't know what is."
Lucian, staring at the same statue, reflects aloud:
"What happened here?"
Kiyoshi, also observing the statues, responds, "I don't know, and honestly, I don't want to. I just hope it's not more weirdness and monsters... I'm getting chills just thinking about it."
He places his hands on his arms, feeling a shiver that makes his legs tremble.
As the cart descends into a deep valley, the surrounding fields, which should have been fertile, are now a vast cemetery of dead vegetation. Twisted, leafless trees rise like skeletal hands.
They decide to dismount and walk into the area. The cart turns around.
In the center of the valley, a stone chapel rises from the shadows, still standing but dilapidated by time.
The roof is in ruins, the doors torn off, and the stained glass windows, once colorful and vibrant, are now broken pieces of glass that reflect nothing.
Lucian observes the structure, feeling a weight in the air that he cannot explain.
Kiyoshi, breaking the silence:
"Ah, of course, a chapel in the middle of nowhere. I bet there are horrible stories waiting for us inside."
Lucian gives a half-smile but keeps his gaze fixed on the building.
"Horrible stories or secrets of people performing rituals for nothing. Maybe both." The two smile and continue walking.
As they move forward, they come across another village with a large church at its center. The structure is imposing but decaying. The tower, partially collapsed, seems to lean as if it is about to fall.
The statues around it are even more disturbing. One angel with its head severed; another with its eyes gouged out; and a third figure fallen, its body in pieces scattered across the church's entrance.
Lucian reflects in silence: "Everything is destroyed—villages, farms, churches, statues—nothing has escaped. If a ritual took place, it suggests something went wrong in the midst of it..."
Lucian pauses for a moment, scratching his chin, and follows his thought: "Then it would make sense if they couldn't control it, or possibly an invocation, which would make more sense."
Kiyoshi, noticing his partner's seriousness, seizes the chance to tease him:
"You know, I think these statues are trying to tell us something. Something like: 'Turn back now before it's too late.'"
Lucian ignores him, but inside, he knows that Kiyoshi's irony might just be a way of dealing with the growing discomfort.
As they explore the ruins, they begin to notice symbols etched into the walls of the houses and temples. The symbols, intricate and dark, seem to vibrate as Lucian observes them.
He comes across a writing on one wall: "Invocation..."
Further ahead, paintings and depictions on the walls show a hooded figure.
Lucian feels a shiver run down his spine. He tries to ignore it, but the feeling of being watched becomes more intense.
Beside him, Kiyoshi murmurs, almost whispering:
"I was joking about ghosts and monsters, but... This is starting to feel pretty real, don't you think?"
Lucian doesn't respond, but his thoughts remain fixed on the 'hooded figure.' The atmosphere around them feels heavier.
It feels as if something or someone has been waiting for them.
Continuing, they explore a few more houses, finding nothing but ruins and debris.
Not even a body.