Moonlight Castle

The village of Lunae lay silent under a deep blanket of snow, its stillness broken only by the faint, mournful cries of hungry children. For months, famine had gripped the northern kingdom, withering crops and emptying storerooms. Rumors swirled that the southerners had caused the famine as revenge for their enslavement, though no one could say for certain. With all wildlife hunted to extinction, the villagers faced a grim choice: starve or venture into the unknown in search of sustenance.

Four men stood beside a weathered wagon, their breath visible in the frigid air. Three of them exchanged tearful goodbyes with their families, their faces etched with fear and determination. The fourth, however, stood apart. His bronze skin, marked by a web of scars, hinted at origins far to the south. Unlike the others, who clutched pitchforks and wore simple farmers' tunics, he carried a bow and sword, his body clad in hard-worn steel. He was no farmer—he was a fighter, a stranger in a land of desperation.

Their mission was clear: to hunt in the Eldritch Ruin, a place shrouded in legend and dread. Built by the Umbrax, a long-forgotten civilization far more advanced than any that now remained, the ruin was once a thriving city at the heart of an empire that spanned continents. Its roads, everlasting and indestructible, still connected distant lands, a testament to the Umbrax's ingenuity. But now, the city lay in ruins, its grandeur replaced by an aura of malevolence. It was said that demons roamed its crumbling streets—creatures more terrifying and deranged than even the most horrific devils described in the teachings of the Moon Goddess's Church.

Their plan was simple: go to the ruins, hunt a godforsaken demon, and bring back its corpse so the village might survive the winter. Under normal circumstances, no one would be foolish enough to come close to the city, let alone try to hunt the monstrosities living there. But this was their only option to survive the winter.

With the men (except for one)saying goodbye to their families, they clambered onto the wagon and set off into the night.