William and Cain walked down the dirt road, and the night still hung over them. Their journey was long, but they came close to finding a trace that would lead them to the wise man.
Cain, walking next to him, put his hands behind his head and said, "Well, we have two villages nearby. We'd better break up for more information."
William didn't answer, but nodded in agreement.
"Wow! I'll go to the eastern village, and you take the west."
Without waiting for a response, Cain turned around and walked his way, leaving William walking alone in the dark.
The night was quiet, and the western village was not far away. When he arrived, he found it small, its houses were wooden, and oil lamps lit up the few streets. The village seemed quiet, but the sound of loud laughter cut that tranquillity.
William stopped and looked at the voice.
In one of the alleys, he saw a group of men standing in a circle, speaking loudly, including a girl.
She was beautiful... Her eyes are as clear as the blue of the sky, and her hair is black falling on her shoulders. Her skin shines as if reflecting moonlight, but she was scared.
One man grabbed her wrist, trying to evade it.
"Please, leave me alone!" She said in a trembling voice.
The man laughed and said, "Where are you going? We just want to talk to you."
"She doesn't seem to want to talk." A cold voice came from behind them.
Everyone froze in their places, and turned slowly.
They saw a tall man standing at the entrance of the alley, his red eyes glowing in the dark, and his face expressionless, as if it were a shadow that came out of hell.
One man muttered in fear: "M-what? Who is this?"
But William said nothing.
He took one step forward, and he didn't need to do more.
The air around him became heavy, as if death itself had entered the alley. The men felt a shiver running in their bodies, and one of them swallowed his breath with difficulty.
The person who was holding the girl immediately let go of her hand, and retreated back.
"Come on, there's no need for problems..." Someone said in a trembling voice.
But William was not interested in their words.
He gave only one look—a killer who saw hell and came back from it.
Suddenly, the men began to run away one by one, as if they had seen a ghost.
For moments, no one stayed in the alley except William and the girl.
She was staring at him with wide eyes, breathing hard. She wasn't afraid of him, but she was terrified by the moment.
Finally, she said in a low voice: "M-who are you?"
William didn't answer. He glanced at her, then turned to leave.
But before he moved, she said, "Wait!"
He stopped, but he didn't pay attention to her.
"I... thank you."
He was silent for a second, and then said in a quiet voice: "Don't thank me."
Then he continued his way, leaving the girl staring in his shadow as he disappeared in the dark.
But this was not the last meeting between them