The ride to Crestfall Kingdom was unusually silent. The road, lined with jagged rocks and pale grass swaying in the wind, offered no signs of life. The sun dipped toward the horizon, casting long shadows that stretched across the uneven path, making the landscape appear more desolate than it was.

  Rhen Calder tightened his grip on Obsidian’s reins. Beside him, Akitsu Shouga’s hooded figure rode with an almost ghostly stillness, the white blade at his side catching the fading sunlight. Lemon hovered near Rhen’s shoulder, twitching his whiskers nervously.

  “Too quiet,” Rhen muttered, scanning the horizon. “Way too quiet for this close to a kingdom.”

  “Like a graveyard,” Lemon whispered, ears perked as he flitted back and forth. “And not the pleasant kind. The scary kind. You know… dead scary.”

  Akitsu didn’t answer, but the way he shifted his cloak slightly over his face suggested he was alert, listening, calculating.

  As they approached the outskirts of Crestfall, the gates loomed larger. Tall and wrought with intricate designs, the walls gleamed faintly under the twilight. But the expected bustle of guards and merchants was absent. Only two guards at the gate glanced up as Rhen approached.

  “Captain Calder,” one of the guards said, bowing slightly. “Your identity is confirmed. Please wait a moment; a Royal Knight Captain will escort you in.”

  Rhen dismounted, offering a curt nod. “Understood. Stay alert.”

  Moments later, the gates swung open as a rider approached from the inner courtyard. Mounted on a steel-grey mare, a woman with silver hair and piercing blue eyes rode toward them, her armor polished to a mirror shine. A sword hung at her side, and a cape fluttered behind her with the Crestfall Kingdom insignia embroidered in gold.

  “Greetings,” she called, dismounting gracefully. “I am Captain Selene Vael, Royal Knight of Crestfall. Welcome. You may bring your companions inside.”

  Rhen stepped forward, inclining his head. “Captain Selene, thank you. This is my companion, though his identity is… sensitive.”

  Selene’s eyes flicked to Akitsu Shouga, who remained hooded and silent. She simply nodded. “I trust your judgment. Lead them to the royal horse barn; I will escort you inside.”

  As they led their horses through the gates, the emptiness of Crestfall became more pronounced. The streets were eerily quiet, the air thick with a strange tension. Windows were shuttered, doors closed, and not a soul moved. Even the wind seemed to whisper instead of blow.

  Rhen’s brow furrowed. “Why is it so empty? Where are the people?”

  Selene’s voice was measured. “The civilians are afraid. Between the tensions with Valenreach and the recent appearance of the… incidents, no one dares go out unless necessary. The high council is trying to mediate, but fear has kept the streets empty.”

  Lemon let out a small, annoyed squeak. “Fear, huh? So basically, the council created the problem and now they’re trying to stop it.”

  Rhen shot the spirit a sharp glance. “Speak carefully.”

  Selene smiled faintly, as if amused. “It’s not far from the truth. We attempted negotiations with Valenreach over a trade agreement. Crestfall is rich in minerals and gems, valuable enough to attract attention. Valenreach sought a trade that the high council deemed insufficient. To us, the gems are not only valuable, but symbols of our kingdom’s heritage and honor. The council wanted a better arrangement, but Valenreach took our caution as a slight against their ancestors’ honor.”

  Rhen’s hands tightened on the reins. “So both sides miscommunicated and assumed the worst. Typical.”

  Selene’s gaze met his. “Exactly. Communication has failed both kingdoms. We asked for aid from Fiester because our three Royal Knight Captains are currently stretched thin with other duties. That’s why you were summoned.”

  Lemon twitched, whispering to Rhen. “See? Told you. Council started it, now calling you to clean up their mess.”

  Rhen ignored him, focusing on Selene. “And the corpses… where and when do they appear?”

  Selene shook her head. “I will provide all details once we reach the castle. You will need the context, and the documentation is secure there.”

  This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

  By nightfall, the small group had reached the Crestfall Castle. A horse-drawn carriage awaited, and Selene escorted Rhen and Akitsu inside. The carriage rolled silently along the streets, which remained unnervingly vacant. The lamps lining the roads flickered weakly, casting dim light over cracked cobblestones.

  “I’ve never seen the kingdom like this,” Lemon muttered. “It’s like a ghost town… without the fun haunting.”

  Rhen nodded, keeping his eyes forward. “Stay focused. Ghost towns have hidden dangers.”

  Upon reaching the castle, they dismounted and were led through the echoing hallways. The walls were grand but bare; tapestries hung like silent witnesses, and torches sputtered, filling the corridors with shadows.

  Selene guided them to a large, oak-paneled research room. The doors opened with a heavy groan, revealing rows of shelves stacked with scrolls, folders, and ledgers. She moved with authority to the filing cabinets, pulling out a thick folder and placing it on the table.

  Rhen opened it carefully. Most of the pages were blank. Only one note had been written:

  “Appearances occur only on the east side of the kingdom. Bodies decay at an accelerated rate, far faster than natural decomposition.”

  Lemon sniffed disdainfully. “Useless. Inspectors only managed the obvious. What about the why? The how?”

  Selene looked at Rhen. “Captain Calder, is it acceptable for your companion to view this information?”

  Rhen glanced at Akitsu, who simply nodded under his hood. “He is my personal assistant. He will need this information. He is to know everything we know.”

  Selene considered for a moment, then nodded. “Very well. But I must leave soon on a task of high priority. You will handle the investigation from here.”

  As Selene departed, the heavy doors closed with a final echo, leaving Rhen, Akitsu, and Lemon alone in the room.

  Rhen leaned back against the table, exhaling slowly. “Alright, Akitsu. What’s our next move?”

  Akitsu removed his hand from his cloak, tilting his hood back slightly. “We investigate the surroundings first. There may be hidden tunnels, passageways, or secret routes beneath the kingdom that could be exploited. If these corpses are anything but natural, I want to know all paths they could have appeared through.”

  Rhen nodded, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. “Agreed. But it’s almost night. Any work we do outside now would be reckless. We proceed tomorrow.”

  Akitsu’s eyes glinted in the dim torchlight. “Then we leave for now. Rest and prepare. The east side will be our first point of investigation. I suspect the corpses are not random.”

  Lemon jumped onto Rhen’s shoulder, squeaking. “Finally! Real work! Ghost towns, fast-decaying corpses, tunnels… can I dig?”

  Rhen gave him a tired glance. “Not yet, Lemon. Focus on observation. Tomorrow we’ll start digging for answers. Literally or metaphorically.”

  The three of them left the research room, the corridors echoing with their footsteps. Outside, the night air was crisp, carrying the faint scent of minerals and stone from the surrounding lands. The kingdom remained silent, almost too still, like it was holding its breath, waiting for something unknown to arrive.

  Rhen looked up at the looming castle towers, their silhouettes jagged against the starless sky. “We’re walking into something dangerous,” he murmured.

  Akitsu said nothing, only adjusting his cloak, his eyes scanning the shadowed streets as if expecting movement from the darkness itself.

  “Tomorrow,” Rhen said aloud, “we begin at the east side. No assumptions. No mistakes.”

  Lemon squeaked enthusiastically. “Finally! Ghost corpses beware! We’re coming!”

  Akitsu’s faint smirk beneath the hood was the only response. The kingdom around them remained still, and the unease in the air had a weight of its own.

  And for the first time, the trio felt the full gravity of the task ahead. Crestfall was more than a kingdom on the edge of political conflict—it was a place where death moved faster than life, and secrets hid in plain sight.

  Tomorrow, the investigation would begin.