CHAPTER 29: CHAPTER 28: PARADISE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE FOREST (2)

The sage pulled Oliver outside behind him.

As soon as they stepped out of the house, Oliver squinted under the harsh sunlight.

The sun was high in the sky, the wind drifting between the surrounding trees.

Trees with leaves carrying a mix of orange, green, and brown.

The village around them was alive, with people walking, working, whispering.

Oliver immediately pushed the sage’s hand away, his brows tight and his face tense.

"What exactly is going on here?"

The sage turned to him.

"We’re in a village now."

Oliver looked around.

"Amazing. I hadn’t noticed. Now can you tell me how we got here?"

The sage waved his hand in irritation.

"Listen, I’ll explain briefly. Apparently a large beast attacked us. That masked man died during the fight. A hunter from the village witnessed everything, found us unconscious, and called the villagers to help."

Oliver struggled to process what he’d heard.

"Wait, are you serious?"

"Yes. Why are you so shocked?"

"Why am I shocked?! Why aren’t you?! Is this normal for you?"

Before the sage could respond, the woman who looked disturbingly like Eleanor stepped out of the house.

She stopped near them and asked softly,

"Is something wrong, Daniel?"

The sage immediately turned to her, forcing a small, fake smile onto his face.

"There’s no problem, Lenor. He’s just confused after what happened."

Oliver glared at her, clearly annoyed.

"Can you leave? Didn’t the sage say he wanted to talk to me alone?"

The sage quickly slapped his hand over Oliver’s mouth and let out an awkward laugh toward Lenor.

"You know how kids can be rude sometimes."

Then he leaned in and whispered into Oliver’s ear.

"Listen. I’ll talk to you later. Don’t do anything stupid until then."

Before Oliver could argue, the sage pushed him back by the shoulder.

"Go play with your friend. He’s in the village square."

And just like that, he turned and walked off beside Lenor.

Oliver remained standing where he was, watching as the sage walked away next to her, smiling.

Something he had never seen him do before.

Even though Oliver felt something wrong in that smile.

"What is going on exactly?"

Nothing made sense.

The sage acted like he had known this woman for years.

And the woman looked almost exactly like Eleanor, even her name was close. Lenor, Eleanor.

He muttered to himself as he started walking toward the square.

"This is ridiculous. Something is wrong. A beast kills the masked man? A village saves us? A woman who looks like Eleanor? Even her name... no, this isn’t real."

The villagers around him moved in strange ways.

Their faces were familiar and unfamiliar at the same time.

Their features resembled people he knew in the village, but with enough differences to unsettle him.

When he reached the edge of the square, he noticed a tavern.

The moment he saw it, he decided to enter.

Inside, the place was packed.

Men and women drinking, laughing, shouting.

The smell was a blend of wood and hay.

Among the people, he saw Allen and Maron sitting with the two men who had accompanied him when he left the village.

They were drinking as if nothing had happened.

And that confused Oliver even more.

Since the old man’s death, Allen had been miserable, barely talking or eating.

But now he laughed and drank as if it were the happiest day of his life.

Yet even that wasn’t the most confusing part.

What froze Oliver completely was that they were drinking with a man who looked exactly like the old man who died in the forest.

There were slight differences, but the resemblance was overwhelming.

Oliver stared at them for a moment, then turned and walked out of the tavern without saying a word.

He headed toward the village square, where a massive statue stood at the center.

A statue of a figure wearing a long robe with a large hood that covered half the face while leaving the rest blurry.

Oliver reached out to touch the statue, but a hand grabbed his wrist and stopped him.

A girl around his age.

Mid length blond hair, a freckled face.

Her appearance felt like a strange mix of familiar and unfamiliar features.

He yanked his hand back immediately as she lifted her chin.

"What do you think you’re doing?"

"I wanted to touch the statue."

"That’s forbidden."

"Why? It’s just a statue."

"It’s not just a statue. It’s a statue of... never mind, just don’t touch it."

"If you don’t tell me why I shouldn’t touch it, I’ll touch it anyway."

He raised his hand toward the statue again.

She grabbed it harder this time and pushed it down.

He raised it again, she shoved it down again.

And again, she pushed it down with growing irritation.

This went on for minutes. He raised his hand, she slapped it away.

Finally, she lost her temper completely.

"Don’t touch the statue. It’s the statue of the village guardian, alright?!"

He finally stopped, interest filling his voice.

"The village guardian? Can you explain more?"

He said it while raising his hand toward the statue again, and she smacked it down with a frustrated sigh.

"Don’t tell anyone I said this. That statue represents the mythical creature that protects the village."

"And why shouldn’t I tell anyone?"

"Just do it. Am I asking for much? We’re hosting you here, aren’t we?"

Oliver narrowed his eyes.

"How did you know I’m not from the village?"

A sudden nervousness appeared on her face.

"Because you’re a stranger. It’s easy to tell strangers here."

Even though his suspicions were growing, he decided not to push further. He simply turned.

"Fine."

He walked off, searching for Lemur.

But no matter how long he searched the square, the alleys, every corner of the village, Lemur was nowhere to be found.

Hours passed as he moved through the people, asking more with his eyes than his voice.

And the more he looked at the villagers’ faces, the worse his headache became.

Faces familiar and distorted at the same time. Like warped versions of people he knew.

And when he realized Lemur wasn’t there, he couldn’t stand being among them anymore.

He decided to run into the forest, even though he knew it was a stupid idea.

But it still felt kinder than being surrounded by those unsettling faces.

Before he could leave the village, a man clad in full metal armor blocked his path.

His voice came out deep from behind the helmet.

"Where are you going, boy?"