Chapter 60: The Dead of Night

The forest felt eerily still, the silence almost suffocating as Robert, Aiden, and the ragged stranger huddled around the flickering fire. The stranger—who had introduced himself as Caleb—sat hunched, his eyes darting nervously between the shadows of the trees, as if at any moment they might spring to life with unseen dangers.

Aiden wasn’t convinced by Caleb’s story. His face remained hard, his eyes suspicious, while Robert, though wary, couldn’t ignore the pitiful state of the man. Caleb looked as if he hadn’t eaten in days, his cheeks sunken, his skin pale beneath layers of grime. Robert’s instincts told him that even if Caleb wasn’t entirely truthful, he wasn’t a direct threat—at least not yet.

"How long have you been running?" Robert asked, breaking the silence as he handed Caleb a small portion of dried meat.

Caleb hesitated, his fingers trembling as he accepted the food. "Three days, I think," he muttered between quick, greedy bites. "I’ve lost track. Everything’s blurred together. They came at night. We didn’t see them until it was too late. My... my brother didn’t make it."

Robert’s heart sank at the mention of family. He couldn’t help but picture Lily—his daughter—lost and scared somewhere, possibly surrounded by people like the ones Caleb described.

"These bandits," Aiden interrupted, his tone sharp, "how many were there? Did you see a leader? Anyone who stood out?"

Caleb swallowed hard, his gaze flicking nervously toward Aiden. "Maybe a dozen. There was one man, though, in charge. I didn’t see his face, but he wore a long coat, different from the others. He gave the orders, never spoke much, just... gestured, like he didn’t need to."

Aiden grunted, clearly dissatisfied with the vague information. "A dozen. And they let you go?"

Caleb flinched, shaking his head quickly. "No, I escaped. They didn’t notice me at first. I hid until I could sneak away in the dark. Please, you have to believe me."

Aiden’s eyes narrowed, but he said nothing more. Robert, sensing the tension, decided to steer the conversation in a more practical direction.

"Where exactly were you when they attacked?" Robert asked. "We need to know where this happened if we’re going to help you."

Caleb nodded, pointing in the direction they had come from earlier. "About a day’s walk northwest. There’s an old village—abandoned, mostly—where we camped for the night. That’s where they hit us."

Robert’s gaze shifted to Aiden, who gave a slight nod in acknowledgment. An abandoned village could be useful—either as a hideout for the bandits or a place where they might pick up clues.

"We’ll leave at first light," Aiden said, standing up and scanning the tree line. "I’ll take first watch. Robert, you rest."

Robert opened his mouth to protest, but Aiden’s expression brooked no argument. The man was tireless, his focus unshakable. Robert nodded and settled down near the fire, though sleep didn’t come easily. His mind raced with questions about Lily, the bandits, and what awaited them in that abandoned village.

Morning came too soon, the sky bruised with the faint light of dawn. The forest had remained quiet throughout the night, save for the occasional crack of a branch or rustle of leaves. Aiden woke Robert just as the first rays of sunlight pierced through the trees, while Caleb stood off to the side, jittery and anxious.

The group packed up camp quickly, eating a meager breakfast of dried rations before mounting their horses. Caleb didn’t have a horse of his own, so he rode with Robert, clinging awkwardly to the saddle as they set off toward the northwest.

The trail was rough, the forest thickening as they went deeper into more isolated terrain. Aiden rode ahead, his posture alert, scanning the path for any signs of movement. The birds had begun to chirp, a stark contrast to the tension that seemed to cling to the air around them.

Robert noticed Caleb fidgeting behind him, his breathing shallow and quick. He couldn’t tell if the man was scared or hiding something. Regardless, the forest seemed to press in on them with every step forward.

"Are you sure this is the right way?" Aiden asked after an hour, his voice carrying back over the sound of hooves crunching against the leaf-littered ground.

Caleb nodded hastily. "Yes, I remember this path. It’s not much farther. The village is just past the next rise."

True to Caleb’s word, they soon crested a small hill, and beyond it, nestled in a shallow valley, lay the remnants of what had once been a village. Most of the buildings were dilapidated, their roofs caved in and walls crumbling, but a few structures still stood—hollow shells of a life long abandoned.

Aiden held up a hand, signaling for them to stop. He dismounted, his boots crunching softly on the dirt path as he surveyed the scene. Robert followed suit, gently helping Caleb down from the horse, though the man’s legs wobbled from fatigue and fear.

The village was dead silent. No signs of life, no movement. Only the wind stirred the tattered remains of what had once been someone’s home.

"Spread out," Aiden ordered, his voice low. "Check the buildings, but stay close. If those bandits are around, we don’t want to get caught off guard."

Robert nodded and drew his knife, though he doubted it would be much help against armed men. Caleb followed close behind him, sticking to Robert’s side like a shadow.

They moved cautiously through the village, their footsteps slow and deliberate. The first few houses they checked were empty, little more than ruins with broken furniture and shattered windows. The place had been abandoned for a long time, but there were signs that someone had passed through recently. Footprints in the dust, a few scraps of discarded food wrappers. Robert’s pulse quickened.

"They were here," Robert said, glancing back at Caleb. "Recently, too."

Caleb nodded nervously, his eyes darting around. "I told you."

Just as Robert was about to speak again, Aiden’s sharp whistle cut through the air. Robert turned, his heart pounding, and hurried toward the sound, Caleb stumbling behind him.

They found Aiden standing outside a small stone building that had once been a town hall. His face was grim as he motioned for them to come closer. Without a word, he led them inside.

The air was thick with the smell of decay, and Robert’s stomach turned as he saw the bodies—three of them, lying in a corner of the room, their faces gaunt and hollow, clearly dead for some time. They were bound, their wrists and ankles tied with rough rope.

Caleb gasped, his hand flying to his mouth as he backed away. "I—I didn’t know... I didn’t see them before."

Robert knelt beside the bodies, his heart hammering in his chest. They were men, perhaps in their thirties or forties, dressed in ragged clothes similar to Caleb’s. Whoever had done this had been ruthless.

Aiden crouched beside him, his sharp eyes scanning the bodies for clues. "Bandits didn’t do this," he said quietly, his voice laced with certainty.

Robert looked up, confused. "Then who?"

Aiden’s jaw clenched. "These men were interrogated—tortured. Whoever did this wasn’t looking for supplies. They were after information."

Caleb, pale as a ghost, backed away from the room entirely, stumbling into the sunlight outside. Robert stood up, feeling sick to his core. This wasn’t just a raid or robbery. Something much darker was happening, something that had claimed these men’s lives.

Aiden rose as well, his eyes hard and calculating. "We’re not alone out here. Someone’s hunting."

Robert’s throat tightened. "What are they hunting for?"

Aiden didn’t answer right away, but his gaze drifted toward Caleb, who was now sitting on the ground outside, shaking.

"I don’t know," Aiden finally said, his voice low. "But we need to find out before they find us."

The unease settled in Robert’s chest like a stone. The path ahead had grown far more dangerous than he’d anticipated, and now, more than ever, he was beginning to wonder if they were walking into something much larger than either of them had imagined.

As the day wore on and the sun began to sink once again below the treetops, Robert knew one thing for certain: the search for his daughter was no longer just about finding her. It was about survival, and whatever dark forces were moving through the wilderness, they were getting closer by the hour.