Content warning - Depiction of gore scenes, presence of blood, presence of bodies and/or body parts



As dawn broke, the entire manor was shaken by a piercing scream, a mix of horror and pain. The servants, busy cleaning up the remnants of the party, rushed inside the house. On the landing, Sanya, the nursemaid, staggered out of the Ferhawen’s bedroom, her eyes wide with fear, her cheeks streaked with tears, and her hands clamped over her mouth. The head stablewoman approached, gently took the nursemaid by the shoulders, and moved her aside. She then walked towards the open door and stood speechless at the sight.


The bedroom was shrouded in semi-darkness, an eerie twilight red looking like the curtains were drawn. The room seemed to have been repainted in dark colors, which struck her as odd because the couple was known for their love of bright and cheerful tones. It took the woman a few minutes to realize that what covered the walls in large splashes was blood. And it was this same blood that dripped onto the windows, giving the scene that unhealthy evening glow. 


Dorian, the master of the house and Elyzara's father, lay on the floor. His body was slashed open, with his intestines spilling out from his abdomen. One of his legs was severed and lay further away. His right arm hung on by a few pieces of flesh, the white bone protruding horrifically from the stump, and his hand still clutched his sword. The corpse was headless. His head seemed to have rolled near the window, staring at the ceiling with an expression of surprise and pure terror.


As for Félya, his wife and Elyzara’s mother, what remained of her was sprawled on the bed. Whatever had attacked Dorian seemed to have particularly savaged Félya. Her chest was a mangled mess, and pieces of her seemed scattered around the mattress, some thrown with such force that they stuck to the walls. Her arms and legs were grotesquely intact, while her face was unrecognizable, as if repeatedly struck by fists or a heavy object. Only the wedding ring on her finger confirmed that it was the lady of the house.


As the gardener took a step to see what was happening, the stablewoman stopped him with a hand gesture. She said, without taking her eyes off the scene, "Fers, take Sanya to the kitchen and get her a drink. And send Delia to check on Miss Elyzara. Barran, go fetch the constable." The gardener guided the nursemaid by the shoulders and complied. Barran, a young stable boy, ran off at full speed.


A few hours later, the news had spread throughout Peans, and many people surrounded the manor. A search party was being organized to track down the creature that had attacked and killed the Ferhawen couple, because undoubtedly, only a beast could exhibit such savagery. But it was also crucial to find young Elyzara, who was no longer in her room. The poor girl must have heard everything and fled in terror, the absence of struggle and blood in the room indicating that she escaped before the monster got there. Finding her as quickly as possible was imperative. Who knew what this demon was capable of? Could it track her scent? Was it already hunting for her? 


Her mother’s body was too mutilated to determine if this creature had fed. If not, Elyzara was in grave danger. All those capable of riding were mounted, the rest of the men on foot armed themselves with pikes and pitchforks, and Elric was appointed to lead the search party, assisted by the master-at-arms of Peans, Sir Daflan, and his apprentice, Lindréa. As the group advanced towards the forest in formation, Elric turned back towards the manor and clenched his jaw. He softly muttered through his teeth, "Sir Baeltran…,” then spurred his horse forward.