x
Chapter 1: The Omen in the Night
The horses' trudging footsteps echoed through the night, louder than the unsettling screeches of owls and the eerie chorus of insects filling the air. The wind whispered haunting melodies, embodying the darkness that cloaked the landscape.
A middle-aged man with hazel-green eyes and an ivory complexion sat tensely on his mahogany-tinged, horse-drawn carriage, guiding it carefully along the edge of a creek. His posture straightened, and he tightened the reins as his gaze fixed on a massive projectile soaring through the sky, launched from a distant trebuchet. The terrifying object glowed with flames and emitted disturbing sounds of tormented screams. As it spiraled downward, Daegal saw it was filled not only with fire but also with disease-ridden corpses and even live humans, writhing in agony as they were hurled through the night sky.
The thick humidity of the night vanished as a deafening sound erupted when the projectile slammed into the earth, causing the carriage to tremble violently. The creek’s water rippled in time with the quaking ground, disturbed by the impact. In the distance, trees splintered, and debris shot into the air, flaming pieces of the fallen siege weapon's grotesque contents scattered across the landscape.
Panic seized the horses, and they bolted, tipping the carriage onto its side. The man was thrown from his seat, landing hard by the creek's edge, where darkness overtook him.6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSnNWgeIreg
