Chapter 23: Chapter 2:No Leads, No Fear
The team decided to investigate the town further. If people were disappearing, someone had to be worried, right? But the deeper they looked, the stranger it seemed.
There was no fear.
No whispered rumors. No missing posters. No families begging for help. It was as if the disappearances hadn't even happened.
Ivan observed the people closely. "Everyone seems… calm. Too calm."
Noah kept sniffing the air. "Still nothing. No scent of blood, no rot. Nothing unnatural."
Liza tossed a vial between her hands. "No panic, no struggle. Either people here are really good at hiding their fear, or they don't think anything's wrong."
They passed by the church—a grand building, well-kept, with people gathered in peaceful prayer. Ivan, naturally suspicious, looked for any signs of dark energy, but… nothing. No curses. No malice. Just pure devotion.
A priest near the entrance noticed them and approached with a warm smile. "Welcome, travelers. Would you like to join our service?"
Ivan shook his head. "We're just passing through."
The priest nodded knowingly. "If you seek protection, the Lord's grace is open to all."
Noah muttered under his breath. "That's not creepy at all."
Liza sighed. "Alright, so the church isn't secretly a den of cultists. That leaves… what? The industrial zone itself?"
Ivan adjusted his glasses. "If there's nothing wrong with the people, then the problem must be something they can't see."
Noah exhaled sharply. "Guess that means it's time to look where nobody else is looking."
Their next step? The abandoned sectors of the industrial zone.
That's where they would find the truth.
To Be Continued...