Aurex lay on the cracked earth, his body halfway through regeneration. His leg throbbed painfully beneath the tattered fabric he'd pulled over it. He couldn't move much, but he kept his face calm, forcing a practiced smile like a mask. Footsteps broke the silence.
An older man, perhaps in his fifties, approached. His clothes were ragged and worn, like someone forgotten by the world, yet his eyes held a surprising warmth. "What are you doing here?" the man asked, his voice gentle but curious.
Aurex shifted slightly, hiding his damaged leg. "Just training, running," he said smoothly, careful not to reveal too much. "I didn't realize I'd come this far. My heart's been hurting, and my legs are tired, so I'm resting now."
The old man smiled, a knowing glint in his eye. "Well, you should come. The town's meeting is happening now. You don't want to miss this one." Without waiting for a reply, he turned and walked away.
Aurex stared after him, surprised and unsettled. How did this stranger know he was here? And what was this meeting? Back in his town, there was never anything like this. The question lingered as the sun baked the endless sand. The old man didn't say another word, just smiled once and kept walking. Aurex stayed still for a moment, watching him go, puzzling over what he'd said, and what he hadn't. The silence felt heavy, like there was more beneath the surface. That thought stuck with Aurex as he forced himself to stand, aching legs trembling, and quietly followed.
They arrived at a crowd, perhaps a thousand, maybe two thousand people gathered around a large stage. The air buzzed with chatter, laughter, and conversation.
He realized he needed to understand this place better, its people, its rules. Maybe this wasn't just one town. Maybe there were others, each with its own way of doing things. That thought settled in his mind as he edged closer, ready to listen.
The crowd stretched out like a sea of faces, murmuring and restless beneath the cloudless sky. Heat clung to everything, skin, stone, breath. Aurex stood near the edge, watching.
Then the stage creaked.
An old man climbed up slowly, limbs jerking with strange, disjointed movements. His back hunched, his arms flailed every so often as if his joints didn't agree on how to move. He giggled, soft at first, then louder, until it broke into a bubbling laugh that didn't quite sound human.
He reached the center and raised his arms like a conductor. The noise from the crowd faded.
"Dear citizens of..." He paused, head twitching. "...Dravenfall," he finally said, grinning ear to ear. "Today is another day of excitement, desire, happiness!"
A cheer went up from a few in the front.
"Let yourself loose," the old man said, voice high with manic joy. "Do everything you want. Go absolutely insane and act..."
A silver glint flashed.
The knife struck him dead center in the forehead.
His voice cut off with a sickening thud. His eyes widened, mouth still curved in a smile, and then his body crumpled without a sound.
The silence was shattered by a shock far darker and more brutal.
Nearby, a family's twisted violence played out in full view. A mother kicked her child hard in the face, shattering several teeth, while the father responded with terrifying finality, breaking the mother's neck without hesitation. Aurex watched in stunned horror, the savage cruelty of Dravenfall sinking in. This wasn't just a town; it was a place where cruelty ruled, where survival meant hardening yourself against even the closest bonds.
Aurex's first instinct was to get as far away as possible. He slipped through the crowd, pushing past the chaos, desperate for safety. People around him lost control, mothers turning violent against their own children, kids brandishing knives and attacking anyone nearby. The town had unraveled into pure madness, and Aurex knew he had to hide. He was already away from them, so the escape was easy.
He ducked into a nearby house and scrambled up to the second floor, hoping for a moment of peace. But then, through the window, he caught sight of the old homeless man from before, his eyes wild, a crazed laugh escaping his lips. Without hesitation, the man pushed open the door and stepped inside, his insanity closing in on Aurex like a shadow.