The group entered the town. It was simple and peaceful.
The cobblestone streets wound between brick houses. Mana lamps glowed faintly. The sun had already dipped low.
Amon and his group walked through the town’s footpath.
Amon observed the town.
Horse-drawn carriages moved over the main road. Sounds of people chatting and laughing filled the evening market.
They reached the town square. A beautiful fountain stood there, glowing with lights inside it. It looked even more beautiful and attracted the attention of passersby.
There was a shop of fruits.Vixra walked towards that nearby shop and asked the old-looking shopkeeper,
"Mister, Can you please tell me where is the orphanage in this town?" Her voice was polite.
The old shopkeeper pointed his hand in the right direction.
"Go straight on this road, and then there will be two turns. Take the left one. At the far corner of the town, you will find the orphanage." The old man told the address with a small smile.
"Thank you, Mister." She thanked the shopkeeper.
All four of them started to walk in the direction the old man had told them.
Amon continued his observation. There was a small temple of the goddess in the town as well—small but beautiful.
Looking at it, Amon prayed in his mind,
’Please, goddess, protect me!’
Selena and the others were talking about the mission while Amon just walked beside them silently.
After some minutes of walking, they saw a big house situated at the far end of the town. The house had a large garden.
But what drew Amon’s attention was the forest behind the house.
Yes. A dense forest began right behind the compound.
"I guess that’s the orphanage," Selena said.
Vixra and Jareth nodded in agreement.
"Yes, let’s go," Amon chimed in, thinking he had been silent for a long time.
Selena gave him a side glance and then walked forward.
As they got closer to the house, Amon could see it more clearly now.
A large, weathered stone manor stood there, its ivy-clad walls and steep roof giving it a somber air. Though old and creaking, the house offered warmth—
A shelter, a rough but steadfast refuge for orphans. The house and its garden were surrounded by a wooden compound.
The group opened the small gate and entered the yard.
Amon started to take a closer look at the house and its garden.
He could hear the sounds of children from inside the house.
Without waiting, Selena knocked on the door.
Knock! Knock!
Amon and the other two stood behind her, waiting for the door to open. Footsteps could be heard from the other side, coming closer.
Click!
With the sound of the lock opening, the door slowly opened.
Standing at the door was a woman in her thirties. She wore a white robe, the kind usually worn by nuns from the temple. A white veil covered her head, hiding her brown hair.
Her brown eyes studied their faces. Seeing the academy uniform, she immediately understood who they were.
"Oh! You’re from the academy. Thank the goddess! You have finally come. Please, come in."
The woman stepped aside for them to enter.
Selena just nodded and walked in without saying anything.
The nun closed the door behind them.
"Please follow me," she said and started to walk inside.
They followed her into the stone-made hallway of the house.
Despite looking old, the house was huge—perfect for many children.
There was a wooden staircase leading to the upper floor.
The sound of children chatting and giggling came from above.
"Hope your journey was good. My name is Kreta. I am a nun at the goddess temple in this town but also help this orphanage to take care of the children. There is another nun as well. Currently, she’s with the children. I will introduce her to you later."
Selena nodded and replied, "The journey was peaceful... How many children are there in this orphanage?"
"For now, there are fifteen," she said with a sad gaze.
"It was twenty-two before... but seven have gone missing."
She stopped at one particular wooden door and then opened it with a creak.
The room was spacious. Wooden shelves filled with books lined the walls. An old antique clock on the stone wall ticked steadily.
In the middle of the room were two couches. Though old-looking, they were clean.
The room gave the vibe of a living room.
There was a man sitting on the couch, reading a book. Seeing Amon and his group enter, he stood up and politely greeted them.
"Oho... so you have come. I was waiting for your help so eagerly. My name is Domnhar. I run this orphanage. It’s a pleasure to meet you all. Please, have a seat."
The man looked like he was in his late forties. His black hair had white streaks, showing his age. Wrinkles lined the corners of his warm black eyes.
Selena moved first, the others following behind her.
She sat on the couch. Amon sat beside her, while Vixra sat on her other side and Jareth further away.
"My name is Selena. These are my friends. This is Amon."
Amon smiled at the old man and said, "Hello, sir! Nice to meet you."
Then she pointed at Vixra beside her. "She is Vixra."
Vixra gave a polite and warm smile.
"I am Jareth," Jareth introduced himself with a calm expression.
"Haha... your presence has given me some relief," Domnhar said.
Amon wondered why they only gave their first names. Maybe because Selena was a princess, and she didn’t want these people to react too much. The other two might also be from high-ranking families.
"Sister Kreta, please bring some tea for our guests," Domnhar said to the nun.
Kreta nodded, but before she could leave, Selena intervened.
"Thank you, Mr. Domnhar, but that is not needed. Can you tell us about this incident in more detail?" Selena asked with a serious expression. She didn’t want to waste time on useless chatter or formalities.
The old man nodded.
With a big exhale, he started to speak.
"It first started about a month ago. Everything was fine. The children and we had dinner, and then it was time for sleep. I went to my room while both nuns stayed with the children, helping the little ones sleep and watching over them until all of them fell asleep. The children sleep upstairs, in a long drafty room lined with straw beds."
Amon listened with more focus than ever. Vixra’s warm expression was gone, replaced by seriousness. Jareth looked the same as usual.
"After confirming they were asleep, both Sister Kreta and Lisa went to their assigned bedrooms. Though sometimes they stayed at the temple’s rectory, that night they stayed here."
His expression turned grave. He exhaled deeply and continued.
"The next day, when we woke up, we saw one boy missing. He wasn’t in his bed, nor anywhere near the house. We even called the guards of the town and searched the forest. But we found nothing."
He sighed, his face filled with pain.
"We didn’t stop. We did everything in our power to find him... but just after a week, another child went missing. And again... we didn’t know how. The same thing happened again and again. There wasn’t even the sound of someone entering or a child crying... nothing, if they were being kidnapped."
Amon’s brows furrowed. Of course, the children couldn’t just vanish into thin air. Someone had kidnapped them. But even then—why hadn’t any of the children made a sound while being taken? Or the others sleeping in the same room?
Selena listened carefully and asked,
"Did you try staying beside them all night? Or sleeping in their room?"
The old man nodded.
"Yes... we tried that. Whenever we tried to remain awake all night, nothing happened. But then... sometimes we suddenly felt so sleepy, and we all fell asleep. Then another one was gone."
At that, Selena and the others faces grew even more serious and worried.
Selena’s expression hardened. Vixra’s lips pressed into a thin line. Even Jareth’s eyes narrowed slightly.