“Elder, we’ve searched everywhere, but we still can’t find the missing children!” one of the villagers cried out, his face pale with dread.
“What are we supposed to do now? Those poor kids…” another villager’s voice broke, sobs spilling over as some of them began to weep openly for the lost children.
I stood in the corner, watching the village meeting unfold. The atmosphere was tense and thick with fear.
It had been a week since the first child went missing, and each day since, one more had disappeared. By now, seven children had vanished, and the village was in a state of panic.
The children who remained were terrified, barely able to sleep. They weren’t allowed to leave the house without their designated caretakers, and even then, they stayed close, clinging to any sense of safety they could find.
The Elder, Ether’s grandmother, sat slumped in her chair, her face drawn with worry.
She looked worn like the weight of the world rested on her fragile shoulders.
To be honest, I knew exactly who was behind this. I wanted to shout it out, to warn them all, but what good would it do?
No one could see or hear me!!
My words would fall on deaf ears, and my frustration only grew.
“Do you have any thoughts on this, Mr. Ether?” the Grandma suddenly asked, turning her tired gaze toward the white-haired man sitting among the other villagers.
He paused for a moment, feigning deep thought before replying casually, “I’m not entirely sure, but perhaps their parents came back to take them away. It’s possible.”
I stared at him in disbelief, ‘Are you kidding me right now? Their abandoned parents conveniently showed up and took them away? One by one, day after day?’
His ridiculous suggestion made me furious, and I muttered under my breath, though no one could hear me, “What an absolute load of bullshit…”
But then, to my horror, the Grandma nodded thoughtfully, “Hmm… you might be right. That does make some sense.”
“Really?!” I shouted in frustration, glaring at her. ‘You’re seriously buying that nonsense?!’
As the meeting continued, I glanced over at Ether, who sat on his grandmother’s lap, his face filled with fear and sadness. ‘Poor kid… of course he’s terrified. His friends—his big brothers—are disappearing one by one…’ My heart ached for him.
The meeting eventually wrapped up with no real solution. The villagers dispersed, their heads hanging low with despair.
Suddenly, the white-haired man stood up, dusting off his coat, “Well, it seems my work here is done. We’ll be leaving the village today,” he announced.
My eyes widened in realization, ‘Of course, he’s leaving! He’s definitely behind this. He’s running before anyone connects the dots!’
I wanted to scream at the villagers, to warn them, but I could do nothing but watch in helpless anger as they naively bid him farewell. Both he and the golden-haired woman stood at the edge of the village, preparing to depart. Before they left, the woman turned and waved, smiling brightly.
“I’ll come back to play with you all later… especially you, Ether! Let’s be friends by then, okay?” she called out, her voice full of cheer.
Ether’s face flushed red, and he buried his head behind his grandmother, clearly embarrassed. But all I could do was grit my teeth in frustration as I watched the real criminals walk away, guilt-free, with smiles on their faces.
I sighed heavily, ‘Why am I even here? If I’m supposed to save these kids, then why can’t I do anything? At least make me visible or let me touch things!’
Nothing changed, though, and I remained just as helpless as before, forced to watch as time passed.
….
…
Years flew by in what felt like mere moments. Ten years later, Ether had grown into a strong, capable boy. He was ten years old now, his once timid demeanour replaced by cheerful confidence.
“Grandma, I’m heading out to hunt with Uncle!” Ether said with a bright smile, holding a bundle of hunting gear tightly in his small hands.
The Grandma, her body frailer with age, smiled gently at him. “Be careful, dear,” she said softly, kissing his forehead before letting him go.
Ether’s face lit up as he ran off, eager for the adventure. I glanced at the Grandma, noticing the way she moved slowly now, her strength fading with the years. Then, I turned to follow Ether, watching the boy who had grown so much over the last decade.
He had become a helpful boy, always offering a hand to the villagers, and sharing his food with the younger children… Kind of like Big Brother!
The village, once haunted by the missing children, had slowly found peace again. For some strange reason, the topic of the missing kids had been buried, never mentioned again, and no more children disappeared after that white-haired man and golden-haired woman left.
Still, I couldn’t shake the feeling that they had something to do with it. That thought haunted me every day.
I was lost in my thoughts when—
“Hello~”
I flinched, startled by the sudden voice. Turning around, my stomach dropped.
It was them!! The golden-haired woman and the white-haired man!!!
‘Shit. They actually came back!’ I screamed internally, watching in disbelief as the villagers welcomed them once again, completely oblivious to the danger.
The woman’s eyes widened as she spotted Ether, “Is that you, Ether?” she murmured, surprised by how much he had grown.
Ether, upon seeing her, frowned deeply, though his cheeks reddened slightly. He quickly turned away, hiding behind his grandmother once more.
“Haha, he still doesn’t like strangers,” the Grandma said with an awkward smile, then turned to Ether sternly. “Ether, you need to be brave. If you don’t stand up for yourself, people will take advantage of you.”
Ether nodded in response but kept stealing curious glances at the woman, who was now smiling gently at him, just like before….. And just like before, they claimed they were travelling the Empire again.
“You’re welcome to stay as long as you like,” the Grandma offered.
The man and woman nodded in agreement, their expressions calm and collected. I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off.
As I stared at the man, a frown etched across my face, the thought echoed in my mind: ‘If only I could move away from Ether…’
I focused intently on the white-haired man. His silvery-white eyes flickered, and for a brief moment, they seemed to lock on to me…. his pupils contracted sharply before shifting to look at the Grandma.
‘…’
Now I was certain. It wasn’t just a coincidence. Something about him was suspicious.
“Hey, you can see me, right?” I asked, standing right in front of him, waving my arms. But his focus remained entirely on the Grandma, not sparing me even a glance.
“Hey, bastard! I know you can see me! Stop pretending!” I shouted, trying to provoke him further. I even began making strange gestures, trying to get any reaction out of him—anything that would give him away.
“Look at me, you bastard!” I yelled, frustration boiling over.
Yet… nothing. Not even a twitch. His face was blank, almost serene as if I didn’t exist. Either this guy was an exceptional actor, or… had I imagined the whole thing?
Was I really not visible after all?
But I saw his eyes focus on me for a second!
….
…..
Days passed, and I kept a close eye on Ether. That unsettling feeling in my gut grew stronger with every passing moment.
And, just as I feared, a month after their arrival:
“Another child is missing!!” Villagers screamed, their voices filled with panic and fear.
I clenched my fists, “I knew it!” I shouted to myself, glaring at the Grandma, hoping she’d finally see reason and suspect the two visitors.
But no!!
She was still an idiot!!
“Do you think the parents took them again?” the Grandma asked, her face thoughtful as she looked to the white-haired man for his opinion.
He shrugged nonchalantly. “Maybe… it’s possible,” he said, his voice calm, almost dismissive.
And to my utter disbelief, the Grandma nodded, as if that was the most logical explanation.
“ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!” I screamed, my voice filled with pure rage. “He’s standing right there! Open your damn eyes!”
No one listened!
No one even suspected him!
Not the Grandma, not the villagers… It was maddening!!!
“Am I living in a village of idiots?” I muttered, my frustration reaching its peak.
As night fell, fear spread through the village like wildfire. The children were ordered to stay inside, and forbidden to leave without supervision. Ether, trembling in fear, clung to his Grandma, his small body shaking.
Feeling his trembling, the Grandma gently stroked his hair. “Don’t worry, dear. I’m here. No one’s going to take you away from me,” she whispered soothingly and gently said some bedtime stories…
Ether’s tense body relaxed slightly at her words, though he never let go of her. Still holding her close, his eyelids grew heavy as his exhaustion finally won….. Slowly, his eyes fluttered shut, and he drifted off into sleep.
I watched them, a small smile forming as I observed the quiet moment.
I wasn’t sleepy, but after so many years in this state, I had learned that if I closed my eyes for just a few minutes, the night would pass quickly, and morning would arrive almost instantly.
It was like I could skip time!! Pretty good skill I suppose!
“Pretty messed up,” I mumbled with a grin as I closed my eyes.
…
….
!~Ding~!
[Achieved Compatibility is 92%↑]
Suddenly, my eyes shot open…
It had been a long time since I’d seen this strange Message.
Crack…
Pop…
A fire cracking and popping sound came.
I quickly realized I wasn’t in the old wooden house anymore.
Instead—
“AAAHHH! Everyone kneel before our Saviour!!” a loud voice boomed, filled with fervour.
Confused, I turned toward the source of the noise and froze in shock….
There, in the centre of the crowd, stood the Grandma. She held a sleeping Ether in her arms, presenting him like some kind of offering before the villagers. And the villagers—every last one of them—were kneeling, heads bowed, chanting like they were part of a cult.
“SAVIOUR! SAVIOUR! SAVIOUR!” Their voices rose in unison, echoing through the air.
“What the fuck…” I muttered, my heart racing in disbelief. This was not the village I knew. It was something twisted, something insane!!!