Greetings traveler

They said to discover new places, you have to be lost first. Thus, He chose this unfamiliar and forgotten path out of curiosity— no, more like a whim. When he saw the signpost with the village name scratched out, he already had an idea what he’d find. And true enough, debris littered the ground like the aftermath of a storm, but the deep claw marks carved into broken walls suggested something far worse. A village by the edge of a forest where monsters roam from its depths… of course, an attack was always a possibility. The villagers should’ve known that. The hunters double as guards and have defensive measures in place. But sometimes, the monster's strength simply exceeds the defense they could muster. The scent of scorched wood still lingered in the air—this hadn’t happened long ago. Maybe the adventurers burned the corpses to prevent disease. The young man’s black coat brushed the ground as he knelt to pick up a soot-covered teddy bear. He set it gently beside a splintered doorframe—one of the few structures still standing. “Young man, do you have family in this village?” A voice asked from nearby. “No… I’m just a passing traveler,” the young man replied. He got up and turned towards the man. The man trailed off. He wore light armor over a brown coat, with a sword hung on his hips —suggesting he was an adventurer. “What happened here?” “Everything happened so fast… right after we heard a howl, monsters from the forest —those orcs!— raided this village. Killing everyone on sight. I was one of the few fortunate to run away and survive… but the rest was…” The man trailed off with his eyes downcast. It must be painful to bring up a painful past he can’t get over. “I see…” The young man said, not intending for him to continue. His gaze was on the broken house where four large lines were carved on the dilapidated walls. “My condolences.” He nodded with respect. He walked past him and continued on his way. “You probably know how dangerous this place is. Monsters and bandits are roaming this forest. Be careful out there. He stopped his pace for a moment. Was he considering the dangers that lay ahead and hesitating to proceed? But the young man sighed before resuming his steps. Then he whispered— “I know.” A mask emerged in his hand, and he affixed it to his face.