Chapter 34: The Aftermath of Darkness
The village lay under a blanket of mist as the first light of dawn crept over the horizon. The battle was over, but the air was still heavy with the scent of burnt wood and the cries of the wounded.
Srabon stood at the edge of the village square, his eyes scanning the aftermath. Villagers moved like shadows, collecting the bodies of the fallen, patching up the wounded, and salvaging what little remained of their homes.
Magnus walked up beside him, his face grim. "We lost more than we expected."
Srabon clenched his jaw. "How many?"
"Twelve dead. Eight severely injured," Magnus said, his fists trembling. "And that's not counting the homes destroyed by the Goblin King's dark magic."
Srabon closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. The system notification echoed in his mind.
[New Quest: Rebuild and Recover - Gather 4000 Wood and 3000 Stone. Reward: 5000 Gold, 3500 Elixir.]
"We need to keep moving forward," Srabon said, forcing himself to stand tall. "If the Goblin King had access to dark magic, we need to find out how — and who gave it to him."
Mira approached, her eyes red-rimmed from exhaustion. "Leto's sister, Aria, she's been asking for you."
"Aria?" Srabon asked, his heart sinking. "How is she holding up?"
"Not well," Mira said, glancing back toward the medical tent. "She keeps mumbling about shadows and whispers."
Srabon's eyes narrowed. "Shadows and whispers?"
Inside the tent, Aria sat on a cot, her eyes fixed on the floor. Leto knelt beside her, his hand gently brushing her hair. She barely reacted.
"Aria," Srabon said softly, kneeling in front of her. "Can you hear me?"
Aria's eyes flicked to his, her pupils dilated. "He's not gone. He's still here. Watching. Waiting."
Srabon's blood ran cold. "Who? The Goblin King?"
Aria shook her head, her gaze distant. "No. Someone darker. Someone worse. He said... he said the Goblin King was just a pawn. A tool."
[New Quest: Uncover the Dark Master. Reward: 6000 Gold, 4500 Elixir.]
Srabon's jaw clenched. "A pawn? Then who is the real enemy?"
Aria's eyes filled with tears as she whispered, "The Shadow Master. He's coming."
Back in the war room, Srabon, Mira, and Magnus gathered around the table. The map of the region lay before them, new markers indicating the locations of dark rune circles that had been discovered by scouts.
"The Goblin King's forces are scattered, but these rune circles..." Magnus said, tapping one of the marks. "They're concentrated around the eastern forest."
"If there's a Shadow Master, he'll be hiding there," Mira said, her expression grim.
Srabon nodded, his fists clenched. "We need to prepare. Reinforce our defenses, train the troops, and gather more resources."
Magnus crossed his arms. "And if the Shadow Master is as powerful as Aria says, we'll need more than just brute strength. We'll need allies."
Srabon's eyes narrowed, his determination hardening. "Then we find allies. We rebuild. And we prepare for war."
[Quest Updated: Rebuild and Recover - Collect 5000 Wood and 4000 Stone to fortify defenses.]
Srabon took a deep breath, his gaze fixed on the map. "The Goblin King was only the beginning. The real enemy is still out there — and we're going to bring him down."