Graveyard of the living

The unraveling shadows

When they reached the village, Celine noticed fire torches surrounding the tree, which had an enormous radius. Shocked, she asked Briony, "What's going on here?"

Briony responded darkly, "Nothing much. We're just going to perform a ritual where we'll sacrifice a human heart and blood to the devil. In return, he will grant us power and wealth."

She continued, "Why do you think we welcomed both of you to our village?"

Celine replied, "Because Mrs. Oberheuser is a Tenbu member."

Briony scoffed, "No, you idiot. You two are sacrificial lambs for the ritual. Now, prepare yourself..."

Before she could finish her sentence, Katrin called out, "Briony, come quickly! It's about to start."

Briony sighed, "Oh, at least let me finish my joke... Anyway, Celine, just watch what we're about to do."

With that, she entered the circle and sat down on a mattress, like every other villager, including the chefs—except for all the guards. They began with 15 minutes of meditation. Still confused, Celine thought, *What are they even doing in this bone-chilling cold? It looks like it could snow at any moment.*

Oberheuser said, "They're wearing winter clothes and meditating. After 15 to 20 minutes, they'll do some asanas and yoga to stay calm and relaxed. They repeat this routine early in the morning as well. Yoga and asanas have brought great value to their lives. I've heard these people have been very healthy and haven't caught a cold in five years."

Celine remarked, "So, they practice this to stay healthy."

Oberheuser replied, "That's just a secondary benefit."

Celine asked, "Secondary? What do you mean?"

Oberheuser explained, "The main reason is to make them mentally stable. Instead of using artificial means, yoga is much better. After the war, some of the children they found were mentally unstable. To bring them peace, they started this practice. And more importantly, a guy suffering from PTSD has shown great improvement. He's more stable now than ever."

Celine responded, "So that's how it is. I guess I have to break the bridge to peace," she muttered to herself.

After the meditation ended, Briony approached Celine and began talking to her.

Celine asked, "So, how did you end up here?"

Briony replied, "If you want to hear my story, you'll have to wait until dinner."

Celine inquired, "Why dinner?"

Briony explained, "In the biggest turf house, there's a stage. During dinner, someone usually performs on it. It's not mandatory, just for fun. Tonight, I'll tell you what happened to me on stage."

Celine said, "I think you've had a rough time too. Same here. I still have trauma. Two years ago, I used to walk and scream in my sleep. Thanks to my friends Himari and Teresa, I managed to overcome it."

Briony remarked, "So, you went through that as well."

Celine covered her mouth and grinned.

Celine asked, "Do you know anyone else suffering from that?"

Briony answered, "Johan, a 22-year-old man, lives here with us. He had it worse than you, but now he's completely fine, thanks to the yoga, asanas, and meditation."

Celine replied, "Oh, I see."

While they were talking, time passed quickly, like the wind. When Briony checked her watch, it was already 8:30, just 30 minutes before dinner. Celine noticed a man she didn't recognize who had just arrived and started talking with Bjorn.

Celine asked, "Who is he?"

Briony answered, "His name is Olav. He's from a nearby town. He comes here every night, eats with us, and sleeps here. After the morning meditation session, he heads to his job."

After a while, both girls noticed Olav arguing with one of the female chefs.

The chef said, "I told you not to do that kind of thing after coming here, please."

Celine asked, "Is he in a fight?"

Briony replied, "No, this happens regularly. Olav is actually a really good guy."

Soon, it was time for dinner. In the largest turf house, there was a large round table with enough seats for 40 people. The kitchen was right next to the table, and you could clearly see the chefs preparing the food. The stage was located in front of the kitchen and the table in the middle. Before the food was served, as the three female chefs prepared to serve, Oberheuser introduced them to Celine.

Oberheuser said, "Their names are Sofia, Freya, and Isabella. The third member I mentioned is Isabella, and her husband is the male chef."

Celine remarked, "He's not a member of Tenbu."

Oberheuser replied, "No, he's not. But their story is remarkable. After their first meeting, they fell in love. The war was ending around that time, so everything worked out happily for them. His name is Lucas, and he's 33."

Celine asked, "I see. So, what's the story behind her becoming a cook?"

Oberheuser explained, "Lucas was already a cook, and after they got married, Isabella wanted to help him, so she became a cook as well."

Celine asked, "How did they meet?"

Oberheuser said, "You know the story of how Tenbu was created and how it operates, right?"

Celine replied, "Of course."

Oberheuser continued, "After the war ended, Tenbu members were scattered around the world, helping people wherever they could. The same was true for Isabella. She was sent to Kenmare, a town in Ireland. When she arrived, all she found were piles of corpses, carved like salmon. Laser weapons had been used, so there was no worry about radioactivity or toxic gases, but the place was a complete mess. Nearly all the houses were destroyed, and there were hardly any signs of life.

Still, she and her group searched the area. Just as she was about to give up, she stumbled upon something horrific. Four children were cooking something, and the youngest was crying, 'I don't want to eat.' The oldest one slapped the child and said, 'You idiot, we don't have anything else to eat. We have to survive somehow. I know someone will rescue us one day.' He was crying too. When Isabella looked closer, she realized they were burning and eating human flesh.

The sight made her want to vomit, but she composed herself and called her rescue team. They quickly rescued the kids, gave them food, and took them to the hospital. One of the rescue squad members noticed Isabella's state and said, 'Miss, maybe you should take a little rest.'

Isabella replied, 'It's alright. There may be people nearby who need help more than I do. Let's split into four groups. The first group will take the children to medical, and the other two will search the nearby village for wounded people, please.'

The member asked, 'Are you sure you'll be okay here, ma'am?'

Isabella responded, 'Don't worry, I'll be fine. Please go.'

The member added, 'If anything happens, just press the button on your watch, and we'll be there immediately. We'll be back before 8 PM.'"

After they left, Isabella couldn't hold back any longer and threw up. She gathered her strength and began searching for a safe area. But instead of finding a clear space, she discovered a house in an isolated part of the village. It was a bit away from the main settlement. She called out, asking if anyone was inside. When no response came, she cautiously entered the house.

The first thing she noticed was the floor, covered in dead bodies, with blood splattered across the walls. This time, she couldn't control herself and threw up immediately. Desperately trying to leave, she turned toward the door. But just as she was about to exit, something stirred within the pile of corpses.

A figure slowly rose from the heap and began approaching her. The dimly lit alleyway echoed with the sound of footsteps. Isabella's heart pounded in her chest as she gripped her laser gun, her eyes scanning the shadows. Suddenly, the figure lunged at her, a glint of steel flashing in the man's hand.