From within the shifting crowd, a young man stood still, watching. He was of average height, his face mostly hidden beneath the shadow of his hood, but his eyes were sharp and keen as they followed the five figures moving with purpose through the street.
The crowd parted instinctively around Eccar, Mark, Selene, Kaela, and Thorne, as if sensing the weight they carried.
The man is none other than Jan, the ranger by trade and instinct, noticed the details others missed. The way their shoulders tensed, the worn edges of their cloaks, the faint but unmistakable marks of battle on their gear.
Their faces were set, stern and determined, their gazes locked straight ahead, toward the palace.
"They've come from far… and they fought hard to get here," Jan thought, narrowing his eyes.
His instincts that honed from years tracking both beast and man told him this wasn't just another band of adventurers seeking coin. No, there was purpose in their march. And the lingering aura of struggle clung to them like dust after a storm.
"I've never seen them before. Who are they?" Jan wondered, curiosity flickering behind his guarded expression.
Without another glance, he turned away, slipping through the moving bodies with practiced ease.
He approached one of the nearby houses, its door slightly ajar. With a last glance back at the diorection the five figures disappearing deeper into the city, Jan stepped inside and shut the door quietly behind him.
The door creaked softly as Jan stepped inside. The warm scent of burning wood and freshly baked bread filled the air.
Inside the modest house, three figures were already settled in their places doing their own things.
Annette sat cross-legged on a cushioned chair by the window, absorbed in a thick, worn book. Esther lounged at the table, happily nibbling on a slice of cake, and Hund sat by the hearth, methodically sharpening his broadsword with slow, deliberate strokes.
Jan tossed his hood back and moved toward an empty chair. Hund glanced up first, his rough, scarred face crinkling slightly.
"Where've you been?" he asked, his voice a low rumble.
"Out in the city," Jan replied casually as he sat down, stretching his legs. "Saw something interesting. A party just arrived... not from around here."
That caught their attention immediately. Annette closed her book with a snap, looking over at him with a sharp gaze. Esther stopped mid-bite, blinking.
"A party?" Annette asked, voice curious. "What kind of party? Merchants?"
"Knights?" Esther added eagerly.
Jan shook his head. "Adventurers. Five of them. They look worn down, like they've fought through half the world just to get here. They're not wasting time either, they're heading straight for the King's palace."
Hund's sharpening paused, his expression turning thoughtful. "From far away, you said?"
Jan nodded. "You can see it in their faces. Dusty cloaks, tired but determined. Like they've been carrying something heavy."
"Why would they head straight for the King?" Annette murmured, her brow furrowing. "Normal adventurers would go to the guild first."
Esther leaned forward, excitement in her eyes. "Maybe they have news. Or something important!"
Jan smiled faintly. "Whatever it is, it's big. You don't march like that unless you're carrying a burden that can't wait."
The room grew still, the fire crackling quietly as they all considered what might be happening next.
The silence lingered until Esther, still leaning forward, broke it with a softer voice that heavy enough to cut through the quiet.
"…Is it… do you think it has to do with the… you know… the strange things we saw at the temple that time?"
Annette's eyes flicked to her sharply, and even Hund's calloused hands stilled over his blade. All three of them looked at Esther now, their previous calm shattered by the unspoken memory they all shared.
Hund grunted, narrowing his eyes. "They come from far away. How are they connected to that thing?" His tone was skeptical, but there was an edge beneath it—a discomfort he couldn't quite hide.
Annette let out a long breath, rubbing her temple as if the thought itself weighed on her.
"Now that I think about it… We already reported what we saw to the guild. Every detail. And they just brushed it off like it was nothing. Some old ruins acting up, they said. Do we really just… do nothing about it? Pretend it doesn't matter?" Her voice was tight, bitter with frustration that had been building for too long.
Esther's eyes, usually bright with mischief or curiosity, now held a serious glint.
"I think we need to do something about it," she said firmly. "I can feel it. The Magic we sensed back there… it wasn't normal. It was wrong. We need to investigate, make a move before something worse happens. But the guild—" she scoffed, shaking her head. "They think it's just some normal fluctuation. And I don't know how else to convince them."
Jan stayed silent through it all, his jaw tight and a deep frown etched on his face. His mind churned, the image of the five adventurers marching toward the palace flashing again.
They looked strong, maybe as equal or stronger than his own team.
They can't go to that temple again with just just four of them. After seeing what was lurking beneath those ancient stones, Jan knew they weren't ready to face it alone. And if the guild wouldn't listen… they were stuck. Powerless to act.
His fists clenched on his knees.
"We can't do anything …" Jan thought grimly.
But a small ember of resolve sparked inside him. Something had to change soon.
"For now we just need to pay attention. Maybe with those party arrived some change is about to happen," Jan said.
"What makes you so sure?" Hund asked.
"I don't know, man. I just hoping for something," Jan replied with a bitter smile.
The four of them continue with their own things. But now with more burden in their heart and mind. That thing in the old temple, they know it was bad, and powerful. They had tto do something about it before it get worse.