⚜️ Group 2 - 007 - The Silence · Threads of Fate

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⚜️ Group 2 - 007 - The Silence

You descend the hill cautiously, keeping low, using the treeline for cover as long as possible.

The mill sits at the eastern edge of town, separated from the main cluster of buildings by an open field. The wheel is still, locked in place. The red shutters stand out against weathered wood.

As you approach, the silence becomes oppressive. Not the dead silence of Blackfen, but something else. Absence. Like holding your breath.

The Mill

The mill looks maintained. No rot. No damage. The door is closed but not barred; it turns smoothly.

The door opens onto darkness.

Inside, the mill is clean. Swept floors.

Tools hanging neatly on walls. Sacks of grain stacked and covered. Everything in its place.

Dog moves to a window, peering toward the town center.

"There," he whispers, pointing.

Through the wavering glass, in one of the windows across the square, something moves. A shape.

Human-sized. There for a moment, then gone.

You watch in silence, waiting.

Nothing else moves.

No doors open. No voices call out. No dogs bark. No children play.

Just... stillness.

The Cellar

The cellar entrance is hidden beneath a heavy rug.

Stone steps lead down into darkness.

You light a torch.

Below, the space is larger than expected. Stone walls.

Wooden supports.

And supplies: crates of food, barrels of water, weapons wrapped in oilcloth, bedrolls stacked neatly.

Observation

You settle in to watch.

From the mill's upper window, you have a clear view of the town square. Buildings stand intact. Gardens show signs of recent care. Laundry hangs on lines, moving slightly in the breeze.

And then you see it again.

Movement. In a different window this time. A figure passing by.

Then another, in a doorway across the street. Brief. Purposeful.

As evening approaches, you notice something else: thin trails of smoke begin rising from a few chimneys.

Not cooking fires.

Too thin, too controlled.

One door opens briefly.

something pulls in a bucket that was sitting on the step, then closes again.

Quick. Deliberate. Like they don't want to be seen.

🎯 What's next?