Chapter 288: Follow The Trail
Aaron had seen many horrors in his lifetime. As a soldier stationed at the border, he had fought against creatures that defied nature itself, monstrosities born from the abyss beyond human comprehension. But this—this was different.
It was something far more insidious, far more unnatural.
The accomplices of the former Archmage, now unrestrained without Dimitri’s presence, were no longer content with lurking in the shadows.
They had accelerated their twisted experiments, abducting the poor refugees who had no protection and no means to fight back. These people were being forcefully fused with the very monsters that lurked beyond the Empire’s borders, turned into grotesque abominations against their will.
Aaron had followed the trail of destruction for weeks.
These abominations were released into the forest, and they eventually find the border, they start attacking his fellow soldiers. Aaron needed to do something about it.
The trail led him away from the battlefield, he did not intend to leave so soon but he needed to get to the bottom of this.
His mission led him to the Eastern Duchy.
The discovery left a bitter taste in his mouth. The Eastern Duchy was supposed to be stable, its power unwavering under the rule of the Duchess. But now, beneath that veneer of prosperity, something rotten festered.
Aaron’s instincts told him he was getting close.
The disappearances had been subtle at first. A missing beggar here, a lost child there—people who wouldn’t be noticed. But then, entire families began to vanish.