CHAPTER 00010
When Akar first made plans to travel the world, he never accounted for just how large it would be. Traversing Heart Island alone proved to be extremely treacherous.
He had no true intention of destination, instead just wandering his way across the countryside until he found another sign of civilization. That sign soon came when he was able to spot the distant roofs of another village in the distance.
Each step closer he got to the village, the landscape grew more and more wooded rapidly. By the time he actually reached a real building, the village was completely enclosed by the trees.
Akar noticed upon his arrival that the village was fairly busy, similar to his hometown. However, the people here seemed much more dreary and lifeless then the people of Gurugashu. Instead of the joyous smiles that travelers to his home were greeted with, Akar was met exclusively with grunts, stares, and eye rolls.
Nobody stopped. Nobody said hello. Everyone just continued doing what appeared to be the daily chore of maintaining their village. It was visibly not in great shape. Some of the buildings were rotting, collapsed, or sometimes just in piles of rubble. Akar was shocked at the sheer amount of people that seemed to be zipping around the hellhole he was staring at. Despite its outwardly appearance, the village just didn't have the sensation of liveliness that Gurugashu resounded with.
Akar walked away from the corner he was standing in, bringing himself into the line of traffic, hoping to stop the flow. It was ineffective, however. Instead of stopping to talk or even just complain, the people began to just reroute around him, as if he were just a boulder someone had rolled into the center of the road that could not be moved.
After a minute or so, Akar caught on, so he began trying to stop people on his own. Unsurprisingly, everyone ignored him. Finally, he caught the attention of an old woman who it seemed was on her way home.
"Excuse me ma'am," he said, trying to maintain a sense of dignity whilst grabbing her shoulder to stop her. "I'm not from around here, and I could really use your help."
The woman turned, looking up at him while she adjusted her glasses. Her voice was frail when she spoke, clearly confused by the subject.
"What sort of help?" she asked innocently. He smiled, then explained to her his confusion about the state of the village. "Well," the woman replied. "This village has never been a particularly happy place. I've lived here my whole life, and I can tell you smiling is not a common occurrence. Must've been something that happened before I was born. I'm sorry, sir, but I can't help you."
"I understand," stated Akar. "Thank you for your time anyway. Have a nice day." Surprisingly, the woman showed a faint smile before she turned away and reentered the brainless procession.
Akar decided to continue scanning the village for anything else he could milk out of the first stop on his journey. He noticed one peculiar thing. While most of the huts that comprised the streets were monotonous copies of one another, there was one that stood out.
Far back, beyond the rest of the houses, was a large manor that seemed darker than everything else. Based on the mood of the village, Akar saw only one path here.
Investigation.