Chapter 9 — Underground
"…Anything but that."
The answer stayed in Seren's mind long after Clara said it.
The two continued walking deeper into Norvale. The forest slowly opened into scattered village paths lined with old wooden homes.
At first glance, the village looked normal.
Quiet. Cold. Small.
But the longer Seren looked—
the more wrong everything felt.
An old woman sat outside one of the houses with her eyes open wide. Yet they followed nothing. A child beside her carefully guided a spoon back into her trembling hands.
Further ahead, a man stood motionless in the middle of the road while another person repeatedly called his name.
Again.
And again.
And again.
The man never responded.
Seren's chest tightened slightly.
No one screamed. No one cried.
That somehow made it worse.
People here behaved like suffering had already become routine.
Clara continued walking calmly beside her carrying the basket of herbs. It was obvious she had seen this countless times before.
Eventually they stopped near one of the smaller homes closer to the center of the village. A woman opened the door immediately after noticing Clara. Relief crossed her exhausted face.
"You came back…"
Clara lifted the basket slightly. "I found enough for today."
The woman's eyes shifted briefly toward Seren.
Curious. Tired. But she asked no questions.
Inside, the house smelled faintly of smoke and damp cloth. A young boy sat wrapped in blankets near the fire despite the warmth inside the room.
Seren noticed his eyes immediately.
Clouded. Unfocused.
Not blind. Not yet.
But close.
"…Third progression," the woman whispered quietly.
Clara nodded silently. No surprise. No reaction. As if hearing those words had become ordinary long ago.
Seren stood near the doorway while Clara prepared the herbs. Leaves crushed slowly beneath stone. Water boiled softly above the fire. The entire room remained painfully quiet.
Eventually Clara filtered the dark mixture into a cup and handed it carefully to the boy. His hands shook while holding it.
"…Will I get better?" he asked softly.
Silence.
The mother lowered her head immediately.
Clara smiled faintly. A small tired smile.
"You'll hold on a little longer."
The boy nodded weakly. Like even that answer was enough.
Seren looked away.
Something about that bothered her more than she expected.
Outside, the village remained quiet beneath the pale morning fog.
No laughter. No arguments. Only distant footsteps.
And coughing.
Seren stepped back outside slowly while Clara remained inside speaking quietly with the mother. Cold wind brushed lightly against her face.
Across the road, an old man sat near a wooden fence staring blankly ahead. His lips moved faintly.
"…Mara…"
A pause.
"…Mara…"
The same name. Over and over. As if repeating it was the only thing keeping it alive.
Seren watched silently.
Then—
the old man's eyes shifted toward her.
For a brief moment—
clarity returned to his expression. His trembling lips parted slightly.
"…You…"
Seren froze.
The old man slowly stood from his chair. "…It's you…"
His voice shook violently now.
Fear. Confusion. Recognition.
Seren's body tensed instinctively. The old man took another weak step forward.
Then suddenly—
his expression collapsed again.
Empty. Lost.
"…Who…"
He looked around slowly. "…Who was I talking to?"
Seren stared at him silently. A strange feeling twisted uneasily inside her chest.
Clara stepped outside moments later carrying the now-empty bowl. She noticed Seren's expression immediately.
"…What happened?"
Seren looked toward the old man again. He no longer seemed aware of either of them.
"…Nothing."
Clara didn't seem convinced. But she didn't push further. Instead, she adjusted the basket against her shoulder and began walking again.
"There's still somewhere we need to go."
Seren followed beside her quietly.
"…This curse," she said after a while. "Has nobody found a cure?"
Clara remained silent briefly.
Then—
"There is one."
Seren glanced toward her immediately.
"…There's a place beneath Norvale."
The wind moved softly through the trees surrounding the village road.
"Long ago, before the church expanded this far north… vampires built tunnels beneath this region."
Seren's eyes narrowed slightly. "…Vampires?"
"Most people here pretend they never existed," Clara said quietly. "But the curse began appearing after they disappeared."
The road gradually narrowed as they walked farther away from the village.
"The tunnels were called Underground."
Seren repeated the word silently in her head.
Underground.
For some reason—
it felt strangely familiar.
Clara continued speaking. "They say the vampires were creating something there before they vanished. A cure."
"…Then why hasn't anyone retrieved it?"
Clara let out a faint breath. "Because almost nobody comes back."
The trees thickened around them now. The air felt colder.
"The tunnels are filled with checkpoints."
"Traps?"
"…Not exactly."
Clara's expression darkened slightly. "The deeper people go… the harder it becomes to turn back."
Seren stayed quiet.
"They say the tunnels feed on desire."
A faint chill ran through the air.
"At first people feel relief. Accomplishment. Hope."
Clara's fingers tightened slightly around the basket. "But the deeper they descend…"
Her voice lowered.
"…the more the tunnels show them what they want most."
Seren felt something inside her chest grow strangely uneasy.
"Some people never leave because they no longer want to."
The forest path finally opened into a clearing.
And there—
hidden beneath tangled roots and ancient stone—
stood a massive ruined entrance descending into darkness below the earth.
Cold air drifted upward from the opening.
Ancient. Silent. Waiting.
Clara stopped walking.
"…This is Underground."
Seren stared into the darkness below.
And for the first time since arriving in Norvale—
she felt afraid.