Days in the Village

Ivan and Elen’s house stood at the very edge of Ravenhill, where the last line of wooden fences ended and the forest began.

It was a small house.

Simple walls.

A slanted roof.

A narrow garden behind it filled with herbs that Ivan used for medicine.

To most villagers, the place smelled strange.

To Ivan, it smelled like home.

Morning sunlight slipped through the window as Ivan sorted bundles of herbs across a wooden table.

Dry leaves.

Roots.

Bottles filled with ground powder.

Everything was arranged neatly.

Across from him, Elen sat grinding herbs with a stone mortar.

Her movements were careful.

But not perfect.

Ivan glanced up.

“You’re crushing the roots too hard.”

Elen stopped.

“How can you tell?”

“Sound.”

She crushed the herbs again.

“…It sounds the same.”

Ivan chuckled.

“It doesn’t.”

Elen crossed her arms.

“I’ve been learning this for three years.”

“And you’ve improved.”

“That wasn’t a compliment.”

Ivan smiled.

“You didn’t poison anyone this week.”

Elen narrowed her violet eyes.

“That happened once.”

“Three times.”

“It was two.”

Ivan laughed.

The sound filled the small house.

For a moment, Elen simply watched him.

Ivan lived a very simple life.

He owned almost nothing.

He worked every day.

Yet somehow—

He always seemed happy.

“Why did you become a doctor?” she asked suddenly.

Ivan paused while tying a bundle of herbs.

“Someone once saved my life.”

Elen tilted her head.

“…A doctor?”

Ivan nodded.

“Yeah.”

He shrugged.

“So I figured the world could use another one.”

Elen looked down at the herbs in her hands.

“…You’re strange.”

Ivan grinned.

“You say that a lot.”

Before she could reply—

A loud knock echoed from the door.

Ivan opened it.

A small girl burst inside.

“Ivan! Ivan!”

She nearly crashed into him.

Ivan steadied her.

“Lina, slow down.”

The girl looked around excitedly.

“Where’s Miss Elen?”

Elen raised her hand.

“I’m here.”

Lina ran to her immediately.

“Can you teach me the herb thing again?”

Ivan sighed.

“You mean medicine.”

“Yes! That!”

Elen glanced at Ivan.

“Am I allowed to teach?”

Ivan pretended to think.

Lina looked horrified.

Ivan laughed.

“Relax. Just don’t let her mix poison again.”

“That happened once,” Elen muttered.

“Three times.”

“Two.”

Lina giggled.

Elen handed her the mortar.

“Alright. Crush slowly.”

Lina copied her movements carefully.

Ivan leaned against the wall, watching them.

For a moment his smile softened.

Elen noticed.

“What?”

Ivan shook his head.

“Nothing.”

Just then, Lina pointed toward the window.

“Hey… what’s that?”

Ivan turned.

Outside, several villagers had gathered near the road.

A farmer stood beside a cart, speaking with the village elder.

Ivan stepped outside.

“What happened?”

The farmer wiped sweat from his forehead.

“My livestock… something killed them.”

Ivan’s expression changed.

“What do you mean?”

“Three goats this morning.”

The animals inside the cart trembled violently.

Something had terrified them.

Ivan walked toward the forest edge.

He crouched down.

Deep claw marks were carved into the dirt.

Too large for wolves.

Too unnatural for normal animals.

Elen stepped beside him.

“…Demons?” she asked quietly.

Ivan nodded slowly.

“Low-class ones, probably.”

But something about the tracks bothered him.

They weren’t random.

They looked deliberate.

Like something had been scouting.

Ivan stood.

“We should reinforce the village fences tonight.”

The farmer nodded nervously.

“Demons… here?”

Ivan gave a calm smile.

“Don’t worry.”

He glanced toward Elen.

“I’ll handle it.”

The villagers slowly returned to their homes.

Lina tugged on Elen’s sleeve.

“Are demons scary?”

Elen looked toward the forest.

“…Yes.”

But Ivan crouched beside the girl.

“Only if you let them be.”

Lina nodded.

“Okay!”

She ran down the road.

The village returned to its peaceful routine.

But Ivan remained standing near the forest edge.

Watching.

The wind moved gently through the trees.

Quiet.

Too quiet.

Deep within the forest—

Something was watching back.