Duskwood Legends [English Version]

Faithful unto death.

*⚠️WARNING⚠️*

This chapter contains scenes of violence and explicit language, not suitable for a more sensitive audience of readers.

---- ?????'S POV ----
~One week before the break-in~

[...]

Tsk, dammit, my head's about to burst...

This is the first thought I had, even before I opened my eyes. I don't think I've ever had a headache so bad in my whole life. I must surely have had quite a hangover last night to feel so bad. I hope I had a good time, at least.

But-what did I do last night? Why don't I remember anything?

Still keeping my eyes closed, I try to stand up, lifting my torso a few inches thanks to the help of my elbows. A sudden stabbing pain extending from my forehead and running all the way through my head, up to the back of my head, makes me curse; it's as if a long blade has just pierced me, stabbing my skull from side to side. I clench my jaw and grind my teeth, waiting for the pain to subside. My throat is dry, my tongue slurred, and only now do I realize the metallic taste that permeates my mouth.

Blood.

That I bit myself? Maybe, somehow...?

Shit, why can't I remember anything!!!?

Caught up in agitation over my confused state, I open my eyes. I blink several times, trying to focus my vision, but with little result. I see only darkness around me, dimly lit by a warm light that spreads across the room. I move my head very slowly, turning my face to the right, to follow the source of that faint glimmer with my eyes. I can distinguish with difficulty, because of my fogged vision, that it is coming from a wax candle. I swing my gaze across the room, scrutinizing what little furniture is present; I identify an old dark wooden coffee table, placed under the lamp, and an old-fashioned style closet. The walls of the room have parts of the plaster missing, or falling off, which ended up soiling the floor. What strikes me the most, however, is the smell of mold and rot that fills my nostrils, making them pinch; it manages, moreover, to outclass the smell of blood, which seems to permeate even my clothes.

Where am I?

This is not my home!!!

Suddenly, I hear loud laughter coming from the other room, followed by someone's voice speaking.

I am not alone.

It is definitely two men. I remain in complete silence, sharpening my hearing to distinguish their words and, more importantly, try to recognize who it is. I remain listening.

"But so it was Jason who warned you?" Questions one of the two. His tone, shrill and ringing, suggests to me that this is a young boy.

"That's normal, or else how was I supposed to find them in that damned cabin lost in the woods of Ardenbach, sorry?" His voice is deeper than the previous one, as well as dark and guttural. He is certainly a grown man. He takes a pause, to curse through clenched teeth and groan; he seems to be ... in pain? After a few seconds he sighs, resuming his speech. "He warned me right away, so I could follow him, and find out the group's hideout."

Cabin in the woods of Ardenbach?
Plus, am I misunderstanding or is he talking about a group?

I have a very bad feeling about this.