CHAPTER 250: THE ABDUCTION

A fair number of villagers and travelers were stopping by to look through the wares.

But Shiao Yi was nowhere in sight.

Dominic exhaled deeply, despair beginning to rise inside him.

Shiao Yi had no magic power, Dominic couldn’t sense his presence through magical energy.

Shiao Yi! Where are you? Please answer me!

Dominic called out strongly in his mind.

Shiao Yi was a telepath; no matter where he was, he should have been able to hear the voice from Dominic’s heart.

But nothing came back. No sound, no trace of Shiao Yi’s voice.

"Shiao Yi!" he shouted out loud this time. "Please! Answer me! I know it’s my fault! Just—please, let me hear your voice!"

But his cry vanished into the freezing air, carried away by the wind. Not even the faintest echo of Shiao Yi’s response reached him.

A chill ran through Dominic’s body.

It was as if Shiao Yi didn’t exist anymore, as if he had vanished completely from the world. It felt like everything that had happened between them had been nothing but a dream, leaving no trace behind.

His body began to tremble uncontrollably. This was fear, the cold and deep fear that he might have truly lost Shiao Yi.

Why hadn’t he realized it before? Shiao Yi had appeared out of nowhere; wasn’t it possible that he could disappear the same way, suddenly, without warning? Why had Dominic refused to see that truth?

Had Shiao Yi really disappeared? Was he gone for good and never to return to his arms again?

His trembling grew worse. He could feel his own magic surging out of control, the power building violently inside him, slipping beyond restraint.

A world without Shiao Yi...

A world that would take Shiao Yi away from me, such a world deserves to burn to ashes!

"Um... excuse me, brother?"

A hesitant voice broke through Dominic’s storming mind just as his power was about to spiral out of control. The red haze clouding his vision slowly cleared, revealing the face of a thin, sunburned man who looked to be in his thirties. The man’s old worn-out winter coat was frayed around the edges.

"Are you... by any chance, a friend of that black-haired kid?"

"Yes, I am. Did you see Shiao Yi?"

Dominic grabbed the man by the collar of his coat and questioned him sharply. The man went pale, looking like he might faint, so Dominic quickly loosened his grip.

"I-I’m a traveling merchant," the man stammered. "I’ve got my stall set up over there."

Dominic turned to look where the man pointed. Sure enough, there were boxes filled with food for winter, it was potatoes, pumpkins, and other supplies.

"I noticed the black-haired kid because it’s rare to see someone like that around here," the man continued. "Then the guy running to the stall next to mine and started talking to him. Suddenly, the kid just collapsed and fell straight down. That man picked him up and another one who seemed to be his partner quickly packed up their goods. They disappeared before anyone realized what was happening. It all looked really strange to me."

Shiao Yi was kidnapped!

The thought hit Dominic like a knife. His chest tightened painfully.

"Yeah, I saw it too," another voice added.

Then another and another, the people who had heard the commotion or caught a glimpse of it gathered around.

Shiao Yi’s black hair had made him stand out, so plenty of people had noticed him.

"He is my lover," Dominic said, his voice shaking slightly but firm. "Please, tell me, who were the men that took him?"

"Oh, I see... that’s bad," one of the men said sympathetically, his brows lowering.

An older villager who looked like a local answered Dominic’s question.

"That was the cursed stone peddler. He shows up in the village every so often to sell his goods. He usually comes on market days to buys up grain and other things before leaving again."

"Cursed stone?" Dominic repeated, his tone darkening.

"They call it Black Agate Stone," the man explained. "It’s a kind of rock that can only be found in the mountains where those people live. Some traders come all the way here just to get it. It sells for a pretty high price, from what I hear."

Now that Dominic thought about it, the women earlier had mentioned something like that too.

They said the stone was sometimes given as a wedding gift to bless a bride with good fortune.

However, on the other hand, some jealous women gave it with a curse to bring misfortune to their rivals.

’’I don’t know if curses or blessings really work,’’ one of the heavily made-up girls had said earlier while fluttering her long lashes as she spoke in a sugary voice. ’’But around here, people take those rumors very seriously. And they say that if the crystal is pure and large enough, it really can be used for magic or curse rituals.’’

At the time, Dominic had just thought it might be a kind of magic stone and didn’t pay much attention to it.

"Is the place where that stone is found close to here?" Dominic asked sharply. "Those men, do they live there?"

"You’re not thinking of going there, are you?" a villager replied, alarmed. "It’s way up north in the mountains, it was a rugged and dangerous place. It’s going to start snowing soon. Once the snow comes, no one can get out of tho andse mountains until spring."

The man’s concern didn’t change Dominic’s mind in the slightest.

"Shiao Yi has been taken," he said firmly. "No matter how dangerous it is, I will go."

"Oh-ho, that’s a real man talking," another villager said, impressed. "I like that kind of courage."

With that, the men grew loud with excitement, all talking at once. They shared everything they knew about the cursed stone people, the mountain trails, and the dangers of the northern paths.

Dominic settled his bills at the inn, he paid not only for the room but also for the extra food and drinks he had taken. Then he took hold of Marengo’s reins and headed toward the northern gate of the village.