SWY 18

“Luhas.”

Sharhan and Lestel reined in their horses near the massive outer gate. Even from a distance, the towering stone walls looked imposing, perhaps intentionally reinforced to keep the forest-sealed monsters at bay. It gave the strong impression that no trespassers would be tolerated.

To set foot in Luhas, they would have to pass through that gate, solid and impenetrable like a shield no spear could pierce.

“Think we’ll get through?”

Sharhan scratched his neck as he stared up at the walls. He already knew about Luhas’s reputation for isolation, but standing before it still left him uncertain.

“We won’t know unless we try.”

Sharhan pulled out his mercenary identification, and Lestel retrieved a merchant’s pass. They also had a pouch of gold ready for bribes. The Lord of Luhas was known to strictly forbid contact with outsiders, but not all doors were shut permanently. During his short stint as a merchant, Lestel had learned that enough money could make many things possible.

“You’re going in as a merchant?”

“For now, yeah.”

“Wouldn’t your real identity be better? The Ailun name isn’t something even the Lord of Luhas could ignore.”

“I heard the Lord of Luhas deeply resented the imperial family after the Crown Princess died in the palace. Supposedly, he even sent a private emissary to curse the Emperor and Crown Prince. I doubt he’s fond of central nobles either.”

The Ailun family had been a powerful noble house at the heart of the empire for generations. Even the reclusive Lord of Luhas would know that name.

Given his hatred toward the imperial family over his daughter’s death, it wouldn’t be surprising if he held a grudge against the central aristocracy too. In that case, showing off his lineage might just get them into trouble, best to hide it for now.

If the Lord lost his mind and decided to imprison or kill them, they’d be helpless. It was just the two of them. Taking on the entire Luhas territory with their current strength was out of the question.

“Don’t forget, he once rejected identification documents verified by the imperial family.”

“I remember. If he’s willing to ignore imperial credentials, the Ailun name won’t mean much here either. You’re right, merchant it is. But bribes will only get us in. How are we supposed to find the antidote?”

They had rushed here simply because the paphun tea had originated in Luhas. That meant the antidote was likely here as well. Still, it wasn’t like they had a clear plan.

But Lestel hadn’t given up hope. They’d come this far, so he had to get the antidote – and fast – if they wanted to save Alum, who was likely deteriorating by the hour.

“I’m going to meet the Lord.”

“You think he’ll see you?”

“I’ll find a way. I brought something that might interest him.”

“What is it?”

“Something from an ancient imperial ruin. A relic, technically. Since the first Lord of Luhas was a dark mage, there’s a chance he’s interested in old artifacts.”

Sharhan nodded and thought, How many damn relics is this guy carrying around anyway?

“If it’s impressive enough, maybe we’ll get to see the Lord’s butt at least. But first things first, let’s focus on getting through that gate.”

As they approached the entrance, both men froze in confusion. There were no guards in front of the sealed gate. But it was clearly noisy inside, so they knew people were beyond the wall.

What’s going on in there? Sharhan thought. I think I hear screaming… something’s not right.

Screams, sobbing, shouting, sounds layered together into an eerie, jarring mess.

“You hear it too, right?”

Lestel nodded grimly. He also sensed that something wasn’t right behind the gate. Just as they were about to knock–

With no warning, the gates swung wide open, and dozens of people burst out all at once. Startled, Sharhan quickly pulled Lestel back to avoid getting trampled.

“What the hell…?”

Everyone was panicked, fleeing as if their lives depended on it. Some had their clothes torn off, others were drenched in blood. They looked as if they were running from some monstrous horror. They carried nothing – no packs, no gear – just running, desperate to survive.

A few even tried to scramble onto Thunder and Lightning, who had been calmly standing behind Sharhan and Lestel. The startled horses kicked and fled, trying to avoid the swarm.

Luckily, the horses always came when called, so they weren’t worried about losing them.

“Excuse me–!”

Sharhan tried to stop the last man in the group, but the man flailed wildly, as if in a seizure.

“Aaah! Get away!”

“Just wait, I want to ask–”

“Stay back! Run! You have to run! Aaagh! People are biting each other! Mon-monsters!”

The man’s words turned to panicked nonsense. One of his ears had been ripped clean off, blood dripping freely. He didn’t even seem to notice.

Sharhan stared blankly at the man’s retreating figure.

“Something’s wrong in Luhas.”

It was Lestel who spoke beside him. Sharhan turned to look, his face just as grim.

“He said people are biting each other. And something about monsters…?”

“What? What does that even mean?”

“No idea. I’m just repeating what he said. Shit, what is this, cannibals on the loose?”

He tried to keep it light, but the tension crawling through his chest wouldn’t subside. Sharhan bit his lip. His heart pounded. Lestel fell silent, then said quietly:

“Let’s go in.”

If they wanted to understand what was going on, they’d have to see it for themselves.

“Stick close behind me. Something’s definitely off.”

Sharhan drew his sword and led the way. Lestel pressed close behind, his chest almost touching Sharhan’s back. The steady presence helped calm Sharhan’s racing heart, though he stayed fully alert.

Not knowing what to expect, the two carefully stepped through the gate, and fell into stunned silence.

Luhas was a wreck.

Blood was smeared everywhere. Several buildings in the distance were ablaze. Scattered debris, broken doors, and corpses were littered across the territory.

But it wasn’t just that the bodies were everywhere, it was their condition. Not a single corpse was intact. All of them had been torn apart, as if some enormous wild beast had feasted on them. When Sharhan saw a body with its belly ripped open, guts spilling out, nausea hit him hard.

“Urgh…”

Even Sharhan, hardened by the stench and sight of death from war, couldn’t suppress the urge to gag. His face went pale. Lestel reached for his hand. Sharhan didn’t push him away this time.

“Bandits… maybe?”

He muttered the words, though deep down he already knew that wasn’t it.

“No. Bandits wouldn’t tear flesh like that. These are bite marks. Something with teeth did that, like an animal… or a person.”

Lestel trailed off. They were both thinking the same thing, the phrase the man had shouted: People are biting each other.

“What the hell is happening here?”

Sharhan’s palm was damp with sweat as he tightened his grip on his sword. Holding onto Lestel, he stepped deeper into the territory. The screams, the cries, the desperate shouts, they were getting louder.

“P-please help!”

“AAAGH!”

“Talie! Taaaalie!”

Someone’s name being screamed. Pleas for mercy. The stench of blood and rot clawed at their senses. As they neared the inner walls, the noise swelled.

“What the…”

Sharhan stopped, moving as quietly as possible. Just ahead, a person was biting–no, eating someone.

She knelt beside a man who was still twitching on the ground, his body seizing. Her hair was wild, her hands drenched in blood, dripping with gore. She reached into his abdomen, pulled out his intestines, and brought them to her mouth without hesitation.

The sound of her chewing, the wet smacking, sickening.

‘Wait… that sound… was that what I heard near the Evers palisade?’

Sharhan couldn’t finish the thought. The woman, still chewing, slowly turned her head.

Sharhan gripped his sword tighter. Her eyes were bloodshot, her mouth soaked in red-black fluid, and she stared at the two of them blankly. Then, without warning, she sprang up and lunged, teeth bared.

Sharhan kicked her away with all his strength. She crashed into a cart with a loud thud, but almost immediately stood up again and charged.

Sharhan gritted his teeth and swung. The blade cut halfway through her neck. She fell backward, finally still.

There was no guilt. Whatever that thing was, it wasn’t human anymore. It looked human, but it was no different from a monster.

“We need to get the hell out of–shit.”

Sharhan cut off mid-sentence with a curse. All around them, more blood-covered, human-shaped monsters were closing in.