Trials of Destiny: Way of The Sword

The caravan trundled along the winding road as dusk settled over the landscape, casting a serene but eerie quietness over their journey. Jin and his companions had been traveling westward without a clear destination, their path guided only by the instinct that it would lead them somewhere meaningful. As twilight deepened, the faint glow of lanterns appeared on the horizon—a small village, finally, after miles of desolate road.

The village, called Sai Village, wasn't much, but it had a rustic charm, with stone houses lining narrow streets and the scent of fresh bread wafting from a nearby bakery. As they walked in, Jin noticed that the villagers seemed friendly yet guarded, casting sidelong glances at the newcomers.

At the village's only inn, "The Lone Lantern," the innkeeper greeted them and informed them that only four rooms were available for the night.

Kade, Kael, and Riven quickly took the first three. Jin was about to look for other accommodations for Luna when she casually threw a glance his way. "Guess I'll bunk with you," she said, giving him a sly smile. "Unless you have a problem with that?"

"Not at all," Jin replied, keeping his face neutral, though a faint heat crept up his neck.

Inside, the room was modest but cozy, with a small bed and a narrow window overlooking the main street. Luna tossed her belongings onto a chair and flopped onto the bed without hesitation, stretching out with a content sigh.

Jin raised an eyebrow. "You're really making yourself at home, aren't you?"

She shot him a lazy grin. "Why not? This might be the last time in a while that we don't have to sleep with one eye open." She then paused, glancing at him. "Unless you're planning to keep watch over me?"

"Who knows what you're capable of," Jin replied with a smirk, though he couldn't deny that her company felt oddly reassuring as it always did. 

A few hours Later, in the Common Room

The inn's common room was simple, with a crackling fire place and a few scattered tables where some villagers sat, eating in near silence. The group gathered at a corner table, digging into their meal after the long journey.

"Feels good to eat something that's not random chickens, or wild animals," Kade said, tearing into a loaf of bread. "Almost forgot what fresh food tastes like honestly."

Kael nodded in agreement. "The quiet's a nice change, too. After all the beasts we've had to fight, I don't even remember the last time I slept without dreaming of claws and fangs hunting us all down. I know that was a little while ago, but still. It feels nice."

Jin looked around the room, observing the villagers. He leaned in, speaking just loud enough for the others to hear. "Is it just me, or does something feel off about this place?"

Luna tilted her head, intrigued. "Always the cautious one. Maybe they're just wary of strangers?"

"No, it's not that," Jin replied, his gaze drifting to the window. "It's… like the whole village is haunted or something."

"Haunted?" Riven raised an eyebrow, glancing around. "Maybe we've been fighting too long. A little peace and quiet feels strange to us. It's just a small village with peace and quiet."

Luna smirked and nudged Jin with her elbow. "Or maybe Jin's just getting jumpy. You're acting like someone's gonna jump out from behind the counter any second."

Jin huffed, giving her a sideways look. "And you're acting like you've seen it all. Who knows what's actually going on here?"

Just then, a figure shot up from behind the counter, startling them all. An old man, stooped and clad in ragged clothes, clutched a rusty hoe in one hand. His face was a web of deep lines, his eyes sharp and narrowed, darting from one face to the next.

"Where are you lot from?" he asked, his voice like gravel, filled with suspicion. His posture was tense, as though ready to swing the hoe if they gave the wrong answer.

Kael cleared his throat, trying to ease the tension. "We're just travelers, passing through. Didn't mean to disturb—"

"Travelers, huh?" the old man cut him off, eyeing them with a scowl. "This village doesn't get many 'travelers,' especially ones that look like you." His eyes lingered on the weapons at their sides, then flicked back to their faces. "Why're you really here?"

Jin exchanged a glance with Luna, who shrugged, amused but guarded.

"Just taking shelter for a few nights," Jin replied, keeping his voice calm. "We're not here to cause any trouble."

The old man squinted, studying Jin closely. "Trouble finds anyone who stays long enough," he muttered, tightening his grip on the hoe. "You'd be wise to be gone before sunrise."

"Is there something we should know about?" Riven asked, his tone level but curious.

The man grunted. "You think you can handle what comes around here?" His eyes narrowed further, taking in the group's confident postures. "Arrogance is the downfall of many."

Kade gave an exasperated sigh, muttering under his breath, "Here we go again."

The old man's gaze snapped to him, his eyes flashing with a fierceness that belied his age. "You best listen to me, boy. This place is cursed, one way or another. Those who linger… end up wishing they hadn't." He took a step back, his shadow stretching across the room as the firelight flickered.

With a final, suspicious glare, he backed away, disappearing into the back room with his hoe resting over his shoulder. The door swung shut behind him, leaving the group in uneasy silence.

Luna broke it with a smirk, though her tone was quieter than before. "Well, guess you were right, Jin. Turns out, someone did jump out from behind the counter."

Jin shook his head, chuckling under his breath, though his eyes were still on the door where the old man had disappeared. "Yeah… but I can't say I like the welcome around here."

The group fell silent, all of them aware that the old man's warning would linger in their minds through the night.

Back in the room, Jin was stuffing his belongings into his bag when Luna plopped down on the bed, crossing her arms and watching him with a curious smirk.

"Do you really think this place is haunted or whatever, Jin?" she asked, tilting her head as if trying to gauge his reaction.

Jin paused, glancing at her over his shoulder. After a moment, he exhaled slowly, his eyes drifting toward the dimly lit window. "I don't know," he replied, a note of weariness in his voice. "But I'd rather not stick around long enough to find out. I'm not exactly in the mood to go ghost hunting, fight some undead beast, or worse—deal with some random guy in white who's got it out for a tiny village."

Luna chuckled, watching him pack. "So we're leaving at first light?" He nodded, tightening the straps on his bag. "The old man's warning… something about it just felt off. People usually don't act like that without reason."

She shrugged, glancing around the room with a hint of defiance in her gaze. "Well, if some spirit shows up, we'll give them a good show before we're out of here. Besides, maybe a little fight would lighten things up since you seem to be out of it just because of a quiet night." She rolled her eyes slightly before looking over at Jin. 

Jin couldn't help but smirk at her attitude. "Always ready to take on whatever the hell jumps out from behind a counter, aren't you?"

"Someone's gotta keep you on your toes." Luna stretched out, making herself comfortable. "But I get it. This place has a strange vibe, I'll admit." He raised an eyebrow. "Strange enough that you're agreeing with me?"

She laughed, shaking her head. "Don't get used to it."

They both fell quiet, and for a moment, the eerie silence of Sai Village seemed to press in around them.

As the night stretched on, the room settled into a heavy silence. Jin had tried to stay alert, but the fatigue from all of the travel and not any proper sleep was pulling him under. Eventually, he gave in, lying down on one side of the bed with his back to Luna. She did the same, facing away from him, though a faint grin lingered on her face, as if the night's strange events had only been a small adventure.

Before long, sleep overtook them both.

When morning light filtered through the small window, Jin blinked awake, feeling a surprising warmth pressed close against him. His eyes adjusted, and he found himself holding onto Luna, her head tucked against his chest and her arms looped comfortably around him. His heart skipped a beat, caught off guard by how peaceful she looked in his embrace, a contrast to her usual sharp-tongued, bold self.

Jin's face grew warmer, and despite his words, his arm instinctively tightened around her, as though reluctant to let go. "I... I don't know how to explain this. I didn't mean for this to… happen," he said trying not to make a big deal over this, though he seemed hardly aware of how closely he was still holding her.

Luna's smirk grew as she noticed his grip, her blush deepening slightly. "Guess I was right—you are jumpy," she teased, looking at him with a playful glint in her eye.

Twenty minutes later, just as Jin finally realized how he was holding her, lets go of his grip and started to get up, suddenly there was a sharp knock on the door, followed by Kade poking his head in. He took one look at the two of them, with Jin still flustered and Luna looking thoroughly amused, and broke into a grin.

"Damn, you two!" he said with a teasing chuckle. "Do what you gotta do during the night, I guess. Didn't mean to interrupt the morning after, but we're all waiting on you."

Jin's face turned an even deeper shade of red as he stood up, glaring at Kade. "Nothing happened," he said hastily, shooting a helpless look at Luna, who was clearly trying to contain her smile but couldn't.

Kade just shrugged, smirking. "Sure, sure. Whatever you say, nothing happened," he repeated with exaggerated air quotes. "But maybe next time, warn a guy before he walks in on the nothing you're talking about."

Luna laughed, patting Jin on the back. "See? Even Kade agrees you need to loosen up." she said teasingly.

With a huff, Jin grabbed his bag and headed out, but he couldn't help the small, secret smile tugging at his lips as he walked past Kade.